Sirius Black's Gambit
by immortal6666
Summary: After the tragic loss in the Ministry, Harry learns that his godfather was not as accepting of Dumbledore's authority as he showed outside. Will Sirius' gambit put Harry in a strong enough position to survive the war or were Dumbledore's mistakes too great to rectify? ON HIATUS
1. Shocking Revelations

**Disclaimer :**I do not own Harry Potter though I wish I owned Bellatrix Lestrange.

' ' – Thoughts

" " – Speaking in English

" " – _Speaking in Parseltongue / Memory_

* * *

**S/N : **This begins at the end of Harry Potter's 5th year.

* * *

**Sirius Black's Gambit**

**1 : Shocking Revelations**

The Hogwarts Express had just arrived at the King's Cross Station shaking him out of his thoughts. Even though his friends had tried to include him in their conversations, he had shied away. Whenever he is alone, he wants some company but when someone is there with him, he wants to be alone. He didn't understand himself anymore. He got up taking his trunk and went outside. He quickly walked through the barrier ignoring the calls or greetings from his friends. He didn't have the energy to fake a smile and act as if he is alright. He reached the other side to see many members of the Order of Phoenix standing there with Moody in the lead. He didn't understand why they were standing though he did wonder, in the back of his mind, what the muggles would think on seeing a man with wooden leg, gnarled head and rotating eyes wearing weird clothes.

"What are you doing here, Professor Moody?", Harry asked.

"I don't remember teaching you anything, Potter.", 'Mad Eye' Moody said gruffly.

Moody had never been a Professor even though he came close to being one once. He was supposed to be their Defense against Dark Arts teacher in their fourth year but Barty Crouch Jr. outwitted him and took his place using Polyjuice potion. He disliked being called a Professor since then but Harry was too used to calling him that to change.

Harry soon saw his relatives coming in and suddenly realized why they were there. They were here to talk with his relatives about how he was treated. He felt panic rising within him. His relatives already hate him and punish him for everything. They might make it worse. He could see that Vernon face had turned purple at the sight of so many 'freaks', Petunia looked ready to hide behind her husband's bulky frame at the first sign of attack while Dudley was looking as if he had rather be anywhere else.

Moody came forward and said, "You must be Mr. Dursley"

"Yes", Vernon said gritting his teeth.

"That is not necessary.", Harry tried to convince them.

Arthur Weasley put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Harry, let us take care of this."

He then turned to Vernon and said, "We are here to talk about Harry."

The expression on Vernon's face was priceless. He would have enjoyed it if he was not scared of the consequences.

"We will be in constant contact with him throughout his stay in your house. If we get any indication that you are not treating him well, we will visit."

"What right do you have to dictate what goes on in my house?", Vernon said rage seeping through his voice.

Moody just smirked at him and then turned to Harry.

"If they are not treating you well, just owl us. We will have a talk with them. If we don't get your owl every three days, we will visit to see how things are going."

* * *

Harry went off with his relatives not knowing what chaos this talk will cause when he gets home. He noticed that Vernon's hands were clutching the steering wheel tightly in an attempt to control his anger. As soon as they reached the house, Harry got out quickly and entered the house with his luggage. But, before he could leave, Vernon caught him.

"Go to your room and stay there, boy. I don't want to see you outside the room. Don't forget to reply to them every three days that you are alright. I don't want any freaks coming up to the house."

"Yes, Uncle Vernon", he replied halfheartedly.

He went to his room and sat down. He felt tired and worn out. He didn't know how much more he could take. He seems to be bad omen as everyone associated with him are dying one by one. First, his parents then Cedric and now Sirius, Hermione had almost died while Ron, Neville, Ginny and Luna were injured. He could blame Voldemort for the death of his parents but the others were his fault. If he didn't insist on being fair and just chose to be selfish for once in his life, Cedric would have lived. If he hadn't gone rushing blindly to the Ministry, Sirius would have lived and his friends wouldn't have gotten hurt. If only he had chosen to think things through like Hermione had told him, it could have been prevented. The worst thing was that he knew that more people will die for him and he can do nothing to stop it. He thought, with some grim satisfaction, that his attempt at saving Sirius turned out just like Voldemort's attempt at killing the Child of Prophecy.

* * *

It has been two days since he came home. He was sitting on his bed with remnants of tears still on his cheek. He had been crying for the last two days and there were no tears left in him. The Dursleys have more or less left him alone. He wished, now more than ever, that he had some chores to take his mind off things. He suddenly heard a knocking but he did not feel like getting up and opening. He then heard the door opening and closing. He looked to see the last person he imagined inside the room : Bellatrix Lestrange.

"YOU! What are you doing here How did you get into my house?"

Harry felt very angry. This woman who killed his godfather had just walked into his room as if nothing had happened. He tried to search for his wand discreetly.

"Are you looking for this?", she asked showing him his wand.

He was shocked. He berated himself for his carelessness. He never expected that a Death Eater would be able to come into his house and had no idea what to do.

"Potter, if I had wanted to harm you, I would have done so already. Sit down. We have a lot to discuss."

Harry sat down quietly as he knew that she was the one in power. He suddenly noticed that there was something different about her. She was calm and emotionless which was in direct contrast to the behavior she had exhibited the last time he saw her.

"I, Bellatrix Druella Lestrange, swear an oath on my magic that my true loyalty is towards the head of the Noble and the Most Ancient House of Black which is at present Harry James Potter."

A blue light swirled around her enveloping her and then vanished. She vanished Dudley's broken toys which were lying on the floor with a flick of her wand.

"See, I still have my magic with me."

He was shocked. He had heard about magical oaths but this was the first time he was seeing someone take one. A bunch of questions ran through his head and he asked what he felt was the most important one.

"Why did you kill Sirius? He was also the head of Black family."

"I was just following his orders. If you don't have any other questions, I will explain more."

She threw his wand towards him which confused him more. She took a stack of papers from a bag he had never noticed before and handed it to him. He looked through it but couldn't understand anything past the legal mumbo jumbo.

"It basically states that my first and foremost priority is the Black family. My true loyalty is towards the head of the Black family and I cannot disobey a direct order from him or her."

She then took out a pensive from her bag.

"A pensive?"

"You know?", Bellatrix asked.

"Both Dumbledore and Snape have a pensive in their offices but they were large."

"Mine is shrunken. I will enlarge it to its original size."

She kept the pensive on the floor and tapped it twice with her wand. The pensive enlarged to become as big as the ones he was familiar with. She touched her wand to her forehead and extracted a long silver tendril which she gently placed into the pensive. She extracted more memories and placed it into the pensive.

"Shall we?"

Bellatrix entered first followed by Harry.

* * *

_He looked around and realized where he was. He was in No. 12 Grimmauld Place. But unlike the house he remembered, this house was clean and well maintained. He felt someone pulling his hand and looked to see Bellatrix showing that her younger self was on move. They followed her and reached a large room. It was easily the best room in the house with its extensive decorations and priceless artifacts being lined up for display._

"This is the lounge. This is where we receive the guests. As you can see, it is made to impress. Other than the office of the head of Black family, this is the only room connected to floo network. I guess you already knew that as you lived here last year.", Bellatrix commented.

_Harry was about to ask how she knew that but then changed his mind. She could have learned it from Snape or Sirius. He turned his attention back to the memory. He saw that Bellatrix sat opposite a man who looked just like Sirius that his heart lurched. But this man had a confident pose and a calculating look that Sirius never possessed. He knew that Sirius would have had the same confidence if not for his stay in Azkaban._

"Orion Black. He is Sirius's father and my mentor. He was one of the best duelists of his time. He recognized my potential and started training me much before I joined Hogwarts."

"_I believe you have already heard whispers in your school about a new dark lord rising." _

"_I did. Many in my year and below have already joined him."_

"This happened in the summer before my seventh year. Lestrange brothers were his first followers at least in our generation. They were followed by Avery, Mulciber, Lucius, Carrow twins, me and my cousin Evan Rosier."

"_Lestranges have put forward a proposal for a marriage between you and Rodolphus Lestrange."_

_Bellatrix looked shocked and a little scared._

"Did you notice that uncle Orion first asked about my knowledge of the dark lord before he mentioned the proposal?"

He nodded his head but then realized that she was not looking at him and said, "Yes"

He wondered what was so important about that.

"It was uncle Orion indirectly telling me that this marriage proposal was the dark lord's brain child. This proposal was the dark lord indirectly asking us whether we were his allies or enemies. He couldn't refuse as the dark lord had many of his followers sharing the common room with us. He had to think about our safety too. Narcissa was dating Lucius who you know was a Death Eater. Don't forget the fact that Death Eaters were not declared an illegal group yet as they were pretty much unknown. The Order of the Phoenix was not formed yet and even when it was formed, it was exclusively for the Light side leaving dark and neutral families to fend for themselves. Now, listen."

_Bellatrix Black now had a look of determination on her face. _

"_We have no other choice than to agree. I am ready to do what is necessary to protect my family."_

_Orion Black looked proud for a moment but it faded away soon as the reality of the situation crashed on him. He pursed his lips indicating that what he was going to say was more unpleasant._

"_Even if they only had a marriage proposal in mind, I am sure the dark lord would love to have a fighter of your caliber on his side. If we have a spy in their midst, it will be easier to destroy him."_

_Bellatrix did not show any emotion on her face now as she had already expected it._

"_I will do it."_

_Orion then gave her a set of papers which she signed after going through it._

_The surroundings changed quickly and he soon found himself in the dining room of Grimmauld Place. On the edge of the table sat a woman whom everyone who has been to their headquarters knew well. He had to admit that Walburga Black was better looking in reality than in portrait. This woman had a confident and intimidating aura similar to Mrs. Longbottom. This was not a woman you crossed if you wanted to remain in one piece. He noticed that a boy was sitting on her left who he assumed to be Regulus. On her right were Bellatrix and Narcissa. Bellatrix looked more mature now but still as beautiful as she used to be. Narcissa was the epitome of beauty and innocence. She did not have the pinched look that had been a blemish on her otherwise beautiful face. _

"Aunt Walburga is the head of the Black family now as you might have already guessed from the seating arrangement. That boy is Regulus, Sirius' younger brother. He had just completed his fifth year. It had been two years since uncle Orion's death and Sirius running away."

"_Bella, don't you think it is time for Regulus to follow in your footsteps?"_

_Harry wouldn't have noticed Bellatrix stiffening if he wasn't looking for a reaction from her._

"_I believe that is for you to decide, Aunt Walburga though I would love to have him among us."_

"_If that is the case, I want you to introduce Regulus to the dark lord."_

_He saw Bellatrix looking at Regulus and knew that she was hoping for him to persuade his mother to change her mind. But the only expressions on his face were pride and anticipation._

"Regulus had always looked up to me and saw me as a role model since childhood. That eventually led to his death. His body wasn't found but family tapestry clearly showed that he was no more. This is one of my worst memories, Potter."

"_I will not only introduce him but will also personally train him. You better not disappoint me, Regulus" _

_The surroundings changed again and he found himself in a well decorated room. He saw Sirius sitting on a chair apparently waiting for someone._

"Carefully note his position, Potter. He looks relaxed to an untrained eye but he is ready to attack or defend should the situation demand it. This is a conference room in Gringotts which can be rented by high priority customers which are mostly members of rich pureblood families."

_Bellatrix then elbowed him and pointed to a corner. He saw her memory self emerging out of the shadows. He could see the damage Azkaban had done. She was only a shadow of her former self. She had unruly curls pooling around her head, her face had become gaunt due to years of malnutrition and her eyes had dulled due to the horrors it had seen._

"_Hello Sirius" _

_If Sirius was surprised, he did not show it._

"_Bellatrix, would you care to remind me what the last prank we played together was?", Sirius asked causing Bellatrix to roll her eyes._

"_You and your Order mumbo jumbo! We replaced Narcissa's shampoo with an Invisibility potion. After bath, Narcissa checked her appearance in the mirror to see that she had no hair. It was funny to see her crying the rest of the day whining about how she will never get a boyfriend anymore."_

_Bellatrix had a smile on her face as she reminisced about the past. It took years from her face making her look like the young girl in the previous memories. Sirius got up from his chair and gave her a hug._

"_It is good to see the Bella that I remember from my childhood. Take a seat. We have a lot to talk."_

_Both of them took a seat._

"_How are things in your side?", Sirius asked._

"_The usual. The prophecy is still the top priority. He is still attempting to lure your godson to Ministry to get it for him without any success. I believe that he is using the link you told me about to send him memories of the place. Voldemort believes that he won't be able to resist his curiosity for long and will come running.", Bellatrix replied._

_Sirius got a calculating look on his face similar to what Harry had seen on Orion's face before._

"_What will happen if I tell you a way to ensure Harry will go to the Ministry and you convey it to your lord?"_

_Bellatrix looked shocked by the question._

"_Sirius, you are on the Dumbledore's side, the Light side. Did you forget that?"_

"_I am on Harry's side. This is the only way in which I can help him. You know that I am a prisoner in my own house with a prison guard aka Molly Weasley always observing my every movement. I had already asked the almighty Dumbledore many times permission for training Harry. I even told him I will train him myself but he felt that it will be bigger burden on Harry and he should be allowed to be child for some more time. As if Voldemort would care whether he enjoyed his childhood.", Sirius said looking more furious than he ever remembered._

_Harry couldn't help but feel angry at Dumbledore. He knew that he was the Chosen One and would have to defeat Voldemort for years but still didn't let anyone teach him anything._

"_What plan do you have in mind?", Bellatrix asked in a clear attempt to pacify him._

"_You will tell your dark lord that Harry will come running anywhere if he believes that I am in danger. Then he will send a fake memory of him torturing me and Harry will come to the Ministry to save me. You, along with many other Death Eaters, will be there hidden in the Prophecy Hall. You all will show yourselves when he takes the prophecy. But it is your responsibility to ensure that Death Eaters neither get the prophecy nor corner the children until the Order of Phoenix arrives. When we came, the typical Order vs Death Eater fights will occur. I will fight you and you will kill me. Then you will run off from there and escape."_

"_Good joke, Sirius."_

"_It is not a joke, Bella. I am serious."_

"_And I am Bellatrix. Let us assume that you are not joking. Your plan has many holes in it. Tell me, Sirius, how am I going to know that your godson will come running if he believes that you are in danger? I just escaped from Azkaban and have been resting since. I am not even supposed to know that you are his godson."_

_Sirius suddenly looked sheepish and said, "I didn't think about that."_

"_I am surprised that you can actually think at all. I can't believe I am helping you with this ridiculous joke of a plan but how is the relation between you and Kreacher, according to the Order?"_

"_It is a common knowledge that we have no love lost between us."_

"_So, do you think it will be believable if Kreacher 'betrays' you and tells me this little information, in front of many others, of course?"_

"_That is a good idea. I can't believe that you are the one who said it."_

"_Look who is talking."_

"_Alright. Now tell me, Bella, what are the other 'holes' in my plan?"_

"_I don't want to kill you, Sirius."_

_Sirius gave a sigh and said, "Have you heard of a game style called gambit in chess?"_

"_Yes, it is where we sacrifice a crucial piece so that we are in a better position than our opponent and can eventually win the game. I assume that you consider yourself as the piece to be sacrificed."_

"_What Harry lacks now is a guide, someone who will help him through the tough journey that he has ahead of him, someone who he can rely on to catch him if he falls, someone who will teach him to survive the challenges of life and come out on top. Let's say that Dumbledore has failed in that department. I have already arranged everything such that Harry will become the head of Black family after my death and he will have your unwavering loyalty and support."_

"_So, I am the guide that you were talking about?", Bellatrix asked._

"_Yes. Everyone else that I know of is either blindly loyal to Dumbledore or Voldemort. I can trust you to be loyal to Harry first and anyone else only after him."_

"_I assume that your trust in me has nothing to do with the fact that we are cousins.", Bellatrix said with a smirk on her face._

"_Of course not", Sirius said though the twitch of his lips indicated otherwise._

"_Well, I have a condition. I am not going to use any dark curse on you. You can't change my mind about that.", Bellatrix said sticking her nose in the air._

"_Well, there is a room called the Veil room. You have to corner the children there. It contains the Veil of Death. I will stand in front of the Veil while fighting you and you just have to push me through it." _

"_Pity you wouldn't be dying due to exhaustion after prolonged sex with a busty blonde.", Bellatrix commented causing him to smirk._

"_I can't believe you still remember that."_

_Bellatrix continued, "There is another thing you haven't thought about, Sirius. The effect that your death will have on Harry Potter. Seeing his godfather die right in front of him would be a big blow to him. The poor boy has been enduring everyone calling him a liar and an attention seeker for a whole year. He has his limits too."_

"_I know that he will be devastated by my death. That is the reason I want you to visit him after my death and be there for him."_

"_How do I do that? I don't even know where he lives. What about the wards surrounding the place? I know that Order of Phoenix is full of incompetent idiots but they are not that useless that I can walk into the house undetected."_

"_Harry lives at No. 4, Privet Drive. The wards surrounding the place are blood wards. As long as you have no intention of causing harm to anyone in the house, you can walk through the wards as if it doesn't exist. There is a guard who is so worthless that he wouldn't know if you walked right into the house during his shift. His name is Mundungus. Every time he is on duty, he will either get completely drunk or will have already left to clinch some deal on dark artifacts. He has duty from 6 to 10 pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while his duty on Saturday is from 6 to 11 pm. Let the thief be useful for once in his life. Do you have any other questions, Bella?"_

_Bellatrix kept her silence for a moment before she sighed._

"_No. I guess it is decided then. I just hoped that there would be a way which didn't include your death."_

"_I know."_

_They both got up and hugged each other. Harry felt himself being pulled up and knew that memories were over._

Bellatrix looked at him to see that he was overwhelmed.

"I know that you might need some time to take it in. If you need some time alone, I will return-"

She was interrupted by Harry hugging her suddenly. She was startled. She had no idea what to do. She hesitantly put her arm and hugged him. He held on to her tightly as if she was his lifeline. She could feel him shaking and realized that he was crying. It looks like he was more broken than she had thought. She stood still letting him cry to his satisfaction.

"I am sorry. For everyone else, it was all about Dumbledore said this, Dumbledore said that. It is nice to see someone do something because they care about me rather than because Dumbledore told them to."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. It is those people who called you a liar who should be sorry. It is people like Dumbledore and Voldemort who screwed up with your life who should be sorry."

"What plan do you have now?"

She checked time and said, "We still have an hour and half left. I will tell you what I plan to teach you. Right now, my priorities are occlumency and dueling. You will have apparition classes in school this year but if you get a chance to learn it before hand, do it. It is a necessary survival skill. Mundungus' usual shift is 4 hours. I will wait for half an hour after he comes to give him time to get drunk and I will leave half an hour before his shift ends as a precaution. That leaves us with three hours. First hour will be about dueling. In that hour, I will be teaching you many new spells and stances. We will practice dueling. Next hour will be talk. I will tell you about the many experiences that I have had. We will then go through many of my memories of the duels I had fought or witnessed. We will also be going through many of your adventures to see exactly where you need to improve. Last hour will be solely about occlumency. We will be starting tomorrow when we will have 4 hours. As you must have already noticed, I added a new ward to the already existing ones that prevents the Ministry or anyone else from outside from detecting the magic done in the house. So, Under Age Magic laws do not apply to you anymore. Right now, I want you to stand still with your wand in your hand. I am going to remove your trace."

He did as she asked him to. She pointed her wand at him and made a complicated array of motions. A blue beam came from the wand and hit him. He felt bubbles forming on the surface of his skin which soon grew to envelope him. The bubble continued growing until it grew so big that it blasted. Harry saw a look of shock on her face.

"It was not supposed to do that. Bubble was supposed to stay on the surface. You really must have lot of tracking charms and many other charms on you for the spell to give such a reaction. It is a good thing I silenced the room. Do you have any idea who put all these charms?"

"My guess is Dumbledore and maybe some others in the Order."

"I am going to check for tracking charms in all your items."

She checked all items one by one until she reached his Invisibility Cloak.

"This does have a tracking charm on it which was placed long ago. I will cancel it."

He suddenly remembered that Dumbledore always knew where he went and what he did in spite of his Invisibility Cloak. He now knew how.

"Sirius once told me that your father had an Invisibility Cloak which was a Potter heirloom. Is this the same one?", Bellatrix asked.

"Dumbledore told me that it was my father's when he gave it to me. It could be a heirloom. Why?", Harry replied.

"Did it occur to you that this could be The Invisibility Cloak?"

"I don't understand."

Bellatrix looked at him in shock and then her features turned to an understanding one.

"I forgot that you are muggle raised and so wouldn't have heard of The Tale of Three Brothers. It is a children's story that every wizard raised child would know very well. The story is about three brothers. The eldest is Antioch Peverell, the middle one is Cadmus Peverell and the youngest one is Ignotus Peverell. Three brothers once crossed a raging river by building a bridge over it. Death did not like being outwitted and made a cunning plot to punish them. He appeared before them when they reached the other side. He congratulated them on their victory and promised them a prize to take home. The eldest one asked for the most powerful wand in the world. Death cut a branch from the elder tree which was near him and gave it to him. The middle one asked for a stone that can bring back the dead. Death took a stone from the ground and gave it to him. The third brother saw through Death's plan and asked him for something that would let him live a long, happy life without Death's interference. Death cut a piece from his cloak and gave it to him saying that Death wouldn't be able to find him if he hid beneath the cloak. The first brother challenged his rival as soon as he returned home and killed him. He then became arrogant and started boasting to everyone about having an unbeatable wand. Soon, someone slit his throat while he was asleep and took off with the wand. The second brother tried to bring back his dead lover. She couldn't survive in our world and disintegrated in his arms. He, overcome with hopelessness, committed suicide. Death thus claimed the two of them but couldn't find the youngest brother. Every time Death sees him, he hides under the Invisibility Cloak. Ignotus Peverell then married, had children and then grandchildren. He became very old and decided that it is time to move on. He gave his Cloak to his eldest son and embraced Death like a friend. If I am not wrong, you are the heir of Peverell line."

"How will you know whether my cloak is that Invisibility Cloak?"

"It is a possibility. The Invisibility Cloaks wizards have made do not last for more than a few years. They either lose their magic or they tear on the slightest pressure or both. Your cloak has been working perfectly for many generations. You did say that Dumbledore borrowed the cloak from your father. It must be to check that possibility."

Bellatrix then gave him a mirror and said, "It is a Black family heirloom. When you want to talk to me, look into the mirror and say my name. I have its twin mirror with me. If I am available, a connection will be formed and we will be able to see each other and talk. You can use it as an ordinary mirror otherwise. I am giving you a home work. Tonight, before you sleep, I want you to look at yourself in the mirror for at least an hour. I want to know your findings when I come tomorrow. It is an important step in learning Occlumency. It is time for me to go."

Harry saw her leaving and couldn't help but think that after a long time things are starting to look up for him.

* * *

This plot has been in my mind for some time. I felt that Sirius wouldn't have just accepted Dumbledore's insistence on him being a prisoner and would have made plans on his own if he had something to work on. Sirius was an impulsive person who became more irrational later on due to his stay in Azkaban. But he was a prankster in school and planning was not beyond him.

I also felt it could be possible that her reminding everyone of her 'most faithful' status and accusing others of not being loyal was a cover up of her own disloyalty. I have also heard the stories with lemons are being deleted. the story I had in my mind had sex scenes though I can work without it. I would like to know whether rating it M would be enough or would I have to write the story without it.

I am hoping to get many reviews and suggestions. I have already started on the second chapter and will publish it quickly if there are enough reviews.


	2. First Day of Training

**Disclaimer :**I do not own Harry Potter though I wish I owned Bellatrix Lestrange.

' ' – Thoughts

" " – Speaking in English

" " – _Speaking in Parseltongue / Memory_

* * *

**S/N : **This begins at the end of Harry Potter's 5th year.

** Ghost Walker :** Sorry to disappoint you but this is not Dumbledore bashing, at least not in the usual sense. In canon, Harry was displeased with Dumbledore at the end of 5th year. That is what I had potrayed in the first chapter. In the story, Harry, with Bella's help, becomes more independent and becomes the leader that he is supposed to be while Dumbledore will fade into oblivion in peace knowing that he hadn't screwed up too much.

** chaos159 : **You did not tell me what the website is.

** N Flamel :** Thank You for your complements and also for pointing out the grammar mistakes. I am appalled at my carelessness and will make sure not to repeat it.

I purposefully didn't mention about what Bellatrix did as a spy. I am sure you will know that when you read the next chapter. Harry Potter had just witnessed the death of the only family he had left after a long, strenuous year of enduring friends and enemies alike calling him a liar and an attention seeking brat, Umbridge's Blood Quill, Snape's Occlumency lessons and the side effects of a connection with Voldemort. Add to that his sufferings of the last 4 years and the abuse from his muggle relatives. He already has a huge emotional baggage that he needs to clear before he can take on any other responsibility. Add to that, two days after his godfather's death, Sirius' murderer walks into his house to tell him that she is actually a spy who is working for him now and that Sirius' murder was part of a cunning plot they both concocted together. Harry is a child not a cold hearted military dictator. He needs to work through the mess that his life is and get used to the fact that there is someone on whom he can lean on when life becomes too hard for him, a luxury he never knew until then. Bellatrix knows that he needs some time and space to grieve for everything that he had and so considers giving him the necessary support as her first priority. Only when he has moved on and is ready to be a leader will she place him as her boss and start giving him war reports. She had already scheduled one-third of their time together for this purpose. She knows that he will ask for it when he is ready to hear it.

** Entoarox : **thank you.

Everyone else who reviewed : Thank you for your reviews.

* * *

**Sirius Black's Gambit**

**2 : First day of Training**

Harry got up fresh after having a good night's sleep. He had a wonderful dream in which Bellatrix Lestrange came to his house and told him that Sirius' death was planned between them so that she will have a chance to personally train him. He took his glasses from his bed stand and put it on. He saw a mirror on his bed stand. He knew that he didn't own a mirror. He took it in his hands to check it and saw that it was the same mirror he remembered Bellatrix giving him. Then it suddenly struck him. It was not a dream. It had actually happened. That would mean that he can do magic inside the house now. He tried to decide which spell he should do first before he settled on something simple.

He took his wand from the bed stand and said, "Lumos"

A light lit up at the end of his wand.

"Nox"

The light extinguished itself. He waited for 15 minutes for the Ministry owl but none came. He quickly got ready and went down to have breakfast. He saw that his relatives had already started. His plate had less food compared to that of others.

"Uncle Vernon, I have less food on my plate. Can I take more?"

Harry saw that Vernon's face had turned purple and he was shaking with rage.

"You ungrateful boy!"

Whatever he was about to say next was not heard as Harry took out his wand and said, "Langlock"

Vernon's tongue stuck to the top of his mouth and he could speak no more.

"Whatever you were going to say would have been stupidity anyway. So, it is better left unsaid.", Harry said.

He then levitated the food towards him and ate his fill. He noticed that Vernon was eyeing his visible wand warily while Dudley and Petunia looked downright scared. After everything he had suffered at their hands, it felt good to be the one with power. Seeing them shivering in fear excited him. He could now understand why many people considered being a Death Eater a lucrative career option. He undid the charm on his uncle after he finished eating.

"I thought you were not allowed to do magic.", Vernon said rage mixed with fear in his voice.

"Circumstances changed, so did the rules.", Harry told him and returned to his room.

* * *

Harry remained in his room that day noting down the exact time of each guard's shift. Soon, it was time for Mundungus' shift. He was excited to see Bellatrix again. He waited with his wand in his hand for her to come. Suddenly, he found his wand flying away. He turned to see it fly straight into the hands of a smirking Bellatrix.

"I thought Moody had already drilled into you about the importance of constant vigilance."

Harry was surprised. He was waiting for her and still he hadn't seen her coming.

"So, did you do your homework?"

"Yes. Nothing happened. I just felt bored after some time and slept off."

"Exactly. You felt bored. So, boredom is your most constructive state. Your mind is the most powerful when you are bored. You are similar to Lucius in that aspect."

She saw him grimacing on hearing her words and smirked.

"So, you two are not on the best of terms, I assume."

"Of course not.", he said as if the very thought repulsed him.

"Alright. Now, we will focus on your dueling skills. I went through my memory of the Ministry incident to identify your strengths and weaknesses and have found out many things. You are a natural when it comes to dueling and will be a dangerous opponent with proper training. You have quick reflexes which I assume is due to Quidditch. You are quick at dodging but nowhere near as quick when it comes to casting a spell. Another problem is that you shout out a spell when you cast it giving the opponent plenty of time to defend or counter attack. I know that you would only be taught nonverbal in school this year but I aim to make you proficient in it before you get to school. If your opponent doesn't know which spell you are going to cast until you cast it, it gives you a split second advantage which will be crucial in the coming days. We also need to work on your stamina and your spell repertoire is very poor. I will be teaching you a lot of new spells. So, tell me, did you work out how to cast a proper Cruciatus curse?"

Harry shook his head.

"I have never tried after that day. Are you going to teach me Dark Arts too?"

"I will be teaching you mostly Dark Arts as that is my specialty. Remember, Harry, magic is a neutral entity. It knows no good or bad. It is just a tool. It is up to a person to decide how to use it. It is impossible to beat an unknown enemy. I will teach you the curses we Death Eaters use frequently and the counter curses for it. I will also tell many things about other Death Eaters that you will find useful later. It is said that strong offence is the best defense. But I would prefer if you have perfected the nonverbal shield charm. So, we will work on that."

She then sent a quick stinging hex towards him which he promptly blocked. She kept sending stinging hexes which he kept on blocking. Soon, the stinging hexes gave way to stunners. Soon, she started increasing the speed and frequency of stunners and he found that he didn't get the time to speak the incantation anymore. Soon, he failed to block a stunner and he was knocked out.

She then revived him and said, "I am expecting a better performance from you next time. Think the incantation. Don't say it."

She gave him 2 minutes to rest and then started a barrage of stunners. He kept blocking for some time until one stuck past his defenses and knocked him out. He was revived again.

"It was better than the last time. You were trying to fool me by saying the incantation quietly. But you did manage to cast silently a few times. We will try again."

She started again after letting him rest. This time he put his best effort in to it. He blocked every stunner nonverbally but the effort he put into each shield drained him and he was quickly knocked out.

"Even though you lasted much less than your first try, you blocked every stunner nonverbally. So, I will take it as an improvement. Now, we should work on your attack. I want you to attack nonverbally as quickly as possible and try to knock me out."

"STUPEFY"

He sent a stunner which she deflected with ease. He kept sending stunners with increasing speed. Soon, he started casting spells nonverbally. He got tired after some time and stopped. She had batted away everything effortlessly. He understood now exactly why she was considered the most dangerous woman in England. He considered himself lucky that she was on his side.

"Your performance was much better than I expected on your first attempt. Don't be too disappointed. This is just your first day after all. Now, I am going to try and hit you with a spell and you should make sure that you don't get hit. Do whatever is necessary, block it, parry it or dodge it."

She let him rest for a moment and then suddenly threw a stunner at him which he blocked. She continued sending stunners at him. He blocked all of them. She suddenly sent a familiar spell of green light towards him. He dodged it to find himself in the path of a stunner which knocked him down. She revived to see him glaring at her. She wondered what she had done to make him so angry.

"YOU JUST TRIED TO KILL ME! I thought you were on my side", he shouted at her.

She was confused for a moment and then she understood.

"I didn't use a Killing Curse on you. It was a first year spell called Slug Vomiting Charm though I do admit that I used the specific spell to fool you into thinking that it is a Killing Curse. You would have known that if you had observed my wand movements. Killing Curse doesn't have any wand movements. Did you really think that I was powerful enough to cast a Killing Curse nonverbally when the dark lord himself isn't?", Bellatrix replied.

Harry suddenly felt sheepish. He had just realized that he had made a fool out of himself. Having seen many Killing curses in his life, he should have been able to distinguish between a real one and a fake one. His unwarranted outburst had made him realize that somewhere deep within he still did not trust her.

"Don't beat yourself for it, Harry. It is a quite common mistake, especially among war veterans. It is something you should use the next time you fight a Death Eater and you will find it funny too.", she said with an amused smile.

She continued, "Getting to the matter at hand, you shouldn't expect everyone to cast one spell at a time. There are people who can cast three different spells at a time. There is a reason I have been training you to block quickly. You should be very careful in real fights. Instead of the stunner I used, Death Eaters might be using the Killing Curse or something else equally bad. Now, I believe it is time for you to learn some new spells."

She then thought for a moment and said, "Did you know that werewolves under the leadership of Greyback are supporting the dark lord's cause?"

Harry nodded.

"What will you do when you find yourself face to face with a werewolf? You would have already learned in school that werewolves are immune to most of the Light magic spells that you have learned about. Any idea?"

"No idea."

"What is a werewolf's well known weakness?"

"Silver."

"Correct. There is a spell which uses this fact. It is called Silver Arrow spell. It is actually a slight variation to the Arrow spell. I will teach you the Arrow spell and all of its variations."

Bellatrix conjured a dummy that looked like a werewolf. She then came behind him and held his wand hand.

"Now, just do as I say. The incantation is sagitto exeonero and wand movement is a throwing motion- something like this", she said while holding his hand and showing him.

As his back was turned towards her, she did not see him blushing. Even if Bellatrix was older than his mother, she was still a woman. For someone like him, who had had no romantic life to speak of, it was a big thing.

"I want you to start trying the spell nonverbally. Let us see how long it takes for you to master that.", she said seemingly unaware of the effect she had on him.

Harry did as she had asked and soon mastered the spell. Bellatrix vanished the arrows leaving behind a dummy with holes created by the arrows. She checked the holes properly before nodding her head apparently satisfied. She then vanished the damaged dummy and conjured a new one in its place.

"The wand movements are the same for the next few spells. You just have to add the appropriate word at the end to get the variation you want. You add caneo for getting silver arrows, inflammo for fire tipped arrows and inficio for poisoned arrows. Now, I want you to do all the three varieties nonverbally."

He practiced each variety one after the other until he was sure he could do all varieties nonverbally. She vanished the last dummy and sighed.

"You have done well and have earned a rest… for now. Our dueling time is over. Now, we are going to sit and talk. So, you can ask me questions which I will try to answer to the best of my ability and you will return the favor."

Harry had been thinking the whole day about what he had learned the previous day and had many questions to ask but didn't know which question to ask first. He asked the first question that came to his mind.

"What was Sirius like when he was a child?"

"Well, he was different from the rest of us. He always preferred red and gold to green and silver for some reason I never understood as those colors were an eyesore. It didn't sit well with others but his father let him have whatever he wanted as he was the heir of the family. As a result, he grew up arrogant, bigoted, whiny and spoilt child."

"It sounds a lot like Draco Malfoy."

"I have heard. I believe that Draco inherited it from Sirius. It is my turn to ask now. Which older woman did you have fantasies about the most?", she asked with a smirk on her face.

Harry blushed. He had never expected that question from her and was embarrassed. It was a secret not even his best friends knew about.

"I can't answer that question. Ask me something else."

Harry looked to see that she was shocked. He wondered what he had told that elicited this response from her. It then occurred to him that she might have read his mind. He hadn't told his best friends because he feared they would be disgusted with him but this was worse.

"You didn't read my mind, did you?", he asked tentatively.

"I had thought it would be my niece as you both are close in age. I now know you have set your sights higher.", she said with an amused smile on her face.

"So, you are not angry or disgusted?"

"Why should I be? You will be surprised how common it is. Aunt Walburga was 12 years older than Uncle Orion. The marriages between people of huge age difference is uncommon these days but still well accepted by the wizarding society. There is no need to be disgusted. I have to admit though that you choosing my baby sister of all people to fantasize on was a real shock to me. I now know why you hate Lucius so much. Harry Potter is jealous", Bellatrix teased with a girlish giggle that was quite uncharacteristic of her.

She continued with a mischievous smile on her face, "I am sure Narcissa will be flattered when I tell her of the famous Boy-Who-Lived 's crush on her."

"You are not going to tell her, are you? There is nothing to tell of course. It was during 4th year.", he said trying to hide the fear in his voice.

"If you insist, I won't tell her about your crush. Do you have any more questions?"

"I have another doubt. Why do some pureblood families hate muggle borns and half-bloods? Do they really believe that purebloods are more powerful magically?"

"Some do. Some act like they do. The number of muggleborns and half-bloods are increasing every year compared to that of purebloods. With the decline of purebloods, the values and traditions we hold dear are also declining as the non-purebloods who come into our world do not care enough to learn and respect our culture and traditions. Some are even arrogant enough to claim that their muggle culture was better than our 'barbaric' culture. Tell me, Harry, when you go to another country, will you learn their culture and traditions and adjust accordingly or will you expect them to change their culture and traditions for your convenience?"

"I get your point."

"How much do you know about our culture and traditions?", she asked.

Harry never met her eyes. He had to admit, even to himself, that he had been a lazy git till now. He had wasted away his time goofing off, playing chess or exploding snap. He had already started liking her and he didn't want her to start hating him.

"Do you even know what the wizarding festivals are?"

Harry thought about it. He recalled all the festivals he had heard about and eliminated those he knew to be muggle ones. He didn't want to look like an idiot in front of her.

"Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter …"

"Potter, Halloween is a muggle festival. Revertere anima is our festival. It is the time of the year in which the barrier between Realm of the Living and that of the dead is the weakest. The souls that hadn't left for the other world will leave then. The departed souls will come back to check on their living relatives. It is a very important holiday whose importance had been destroyed due to the headmaster celebrating a muggle holiday in its place. Also, we don't have Christmas as we do not believe in the muggle god. We only have Yule. We celebrate it by holding balls. Each pureblood family take turns in hosting the Yule Ball. Valentine's is celebrated by both while we don't celebrate Easter. Similarly, there are many things I could tell you about our culture but any other proper pureblood could tell you that. Ask me any question related to the topics that only I can answer."

"It is your turn now, Bellatrix."

"I know that you have had adventures before the Ministry. I would like to see the memory of your first practical application of the magic you learned."

Harry was surprised at first but on further thinking he understood that he should have expected it. She wanted to see how capable he was.

"I don't know how to take out memories.", Harry said.

"First concentrate on the beginning of the memory and touch your wand to your forehead. Imagine that you are pulling out the memory from your forehead. You will pull out a silver tendril which you will place in to the pensive. Remember that once you take out a memory, you will know the contents but you will not be able to access the memory itself. There are many memories which we would want to keep safe from a legilimens. They are stored in a pensive or in a separate vial."

"Can we alter the memories?"

"People well versed in mind arts like Dumbledore and Voldemort can not only alter memories to suit their tastes but also create fake memories of events that never happened. You already know that from your experience."

He knew that she was referring to Voldemort placing a fake memory in his mind. He followed her instructions and deposited the memory of Philosopher Stone incident. He saw her lower her face into the pensive and go inside. After some time, she came back up.

"For first years, you three did well. I am surprised Professor Quirell or was it Voldemort didn't think to shrink the creature or transfigure it into something else and wasted a whole year. If I may ask, how was Quirell at teaching?"

"There was not much of teaching. None of us could understand anything as he was always stuttering."

"The dark lord is a very good teacher when he wants to teach something. I would even go on to say that he is one of the best teachers ever. He is an unending well of knowledge and experience. He turned me from a young dueling prodigy to someone known to be the most dangerous woman in England. I almost feel bad for betraying him, almost being the key word of course. Another worrying thing I noticed is that you seem eager to throw away your life. Can I assume that it won't happen again?"

Even though it was said calmly, Harry detected the underlying threat in her tone.

"No, I won't act like that again. I promise."

Bellatrix nodded in acceptance.

"It is my turn to ask now. How does it feel to get a dark mark? Is it painful?"

He saw her grimacing as if he reminded her of an unpleasant memory.

"It is much more painful than the Cruciatus curse. We feel as if our skin is being peeled and acid is poured onto the flesh underneath. The initiation ceremony ends only when the person faints due to pain and exhaustion. The length for which a person can stand the pain is one of the criteria in which his/her status among Death Eaters depends on. The stronger a person is, the deeper and darker will be their Dark Mark."

Harry was the one grimacing now.

"I didn't need to know all the details.", he said causing her to smirk.

"Harry, did you know that the dark lord tried to take over Hogwarts once?"

"I heard that Dumbledore is the only reason he couldn't take over Hogwarts."

"Do you want to see the memory?"

Harry nodded.

She pulled a silver tendril from her forehead and deposited in the pensive. Harry went in followed by her.

_Harry realized that they were just outside the gates of Hogwarts. He could see the Death eaters with Lord Voldemort in the lead. Voldemort was not the nose less demonic figure he was familiar with. This Voldemort had hair, eyebrows, lips and nose just like every other human being. But his face was twisted into a weird shape due to the numerous dark rituals he did. At the other side were a bunch of people with Albus Dumbledore in the lead. The group consisted of all types of people young and old. He looked though the unfamiliar faces in an attempt to spot a familiar face. He then saw a man who looked just like him and a red haired woman next to him. He was elated to see his parents among the group defending the school. He felt proud to call himself their son. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Bellatrix smiling down at him. She then indicated to him to concentrate on the memory._

"_Move aside, old man. Your time is over and my time has come. Those who don't want to end up dead, remove yourself from my path.", he said in a high cold voice that sent shivers down his spine._

_Nobody in the other group moved a muscle which enraged Voldemort._

"_Go back, Tom. This is a school where young children learn about magic and grow up to become respectable citizens of our society. I won't allow you to destroy the sanctity of this institution.", Dumbledore said in a calm voice._

_Voldemort bristled at being called by his real name. _

"_Don't call me that. My name is Lord Voldemort. You will speak to me with the respect I deserve.", Voldemort snarled._

_Dumbledore sighed and said, "It must be one of the shortcomings of being an old man, I guess. Whenever I look at you, I can only see the young boy whom I had taught."_

_Even Harry, who had no experience in political war of words, could see that Dumbledore was mocking Voldemort. It was obvious who had the upper hand. This time, Voldemort could not control his fury. _

_He pointed his wand at Dumbledore and a thick black smoke came out of the wand and went towards the latter. When the smoke came close, Dumbledore did a series of complicated motions with his wand creating an invisible shield. As the smoke couldn't get past the shield, it spread sideways obscuring their view. Voldemort looked for any sign of them being alive._

"_CRUCIO"_

_Voldemort kept the curse for sometime but didn't hear any sound. _

"_Avada Kedavra"_

_A green light left Voldemort's wand and went through the smoke to where Dumbledore was standing. The sound of something falling to the ground was heard. A victorious smile crept up to his lips which soon vanished. The smoke cleared to show that everyone were standing right where they used to be unaffected and there was a dead cat in front of them. Voldemort snarled in anger when he realized that he had used all that magic on a cat causing Harry to smirk. _

'_Take that, Voldemort', Harry thought._

_Voldemort threw a spell at him which Dumbledore deflected with a lazy flick of his wand. Dumbledore sent a spell at Voldemort who deflected it the same way. The power of the spell was so great that Voldemort staggered slightly. It was so slight that Harry wouldn't have noticed it had Bellatrix not pointed it out to him. _

"_This is not over, old man. I will come back soon and no one will be able to stop me. Death Eaters retreat!"_

_Harry soon found himself being pulled out of the memory._

Harry felt his spirits lift up after seeing the memory. The Voldemort he knew was all powerful and Dumbledore had to struggle to keep up. It was a good confidence boost to see Voldemort receiving a humiliating defeat. He remembered that Dumbledore was calm and collected and pushed the right buttons while Voldemort struggled to keep his temper. Harry mused that the memory of Voldemort making a fool out of himself could be a good Patronus moment for him. His good mood vanished as remembered that he had been acting the same way whenever Malfoy called them some childish nickname. He had always drawn his wand or attacked with his fists every time Malfoy taunted him or his friends. After seeing Voldemort do the same thing, he realized that he had only succeeded in making a fool of himself. He decided that asking Bellatrix to teach him the art of playing political games too wouldn't hurt.

"Did you get the message that I tried to convey using the memory?", asked Bellatrix.

"War is not just about who is more magically powerful or who has the larger army. There is also a psychological aspect to it.", Harry replied.

Bellatrix gave a proud smile and said, "Exactly. Everyone who had died fighting the dark lord fought for some Gryffindor ideals like glory or something else. None of them had believed in their victory. If the enemy believes in their defeat even before the war, you have already won. As you have already seen in the memory, Voldemort is used to people running from him or doing everything he commands to save their pathetic hide. So, seeing a group of people who had the guts to fight him both surprised and scared him. He came expecting an easy victory but what awaited him was something he wasn't prepared for. So, he ran away or apparated away to be more exact. The important thing you have to remember about the dark lord is that he will fight only when he is sure of his victory. Seeing people ready to fight him causes him to have doubts and he tends to rethink his decisions. Being more magically powerful or having a larger army is an advantage not a guarantee of victory. If you believe in yourself and never let doubts fester your mind, you will have a huge advantage over Voldemort."

Harry nodded and thought about all that she had told him. For some reason he couldn't understand, knowing that Bellatrix is on his side had given him hope.

"I believe it is time for Occlumency. Get up.", she said.

He stood up and faced her knowing what was to come. He had to admit that he was nervous. Even if he wanted to believe that Snape had purposefully opened up his mind for Voldemort, he knew that part of his failure was due to his laziness and lack of interest. He had also allowed his personal feelings and prejudices to cloud his judgment. As he knew the consequences, he was very determined to learn Occlumency now.

"Clear your mind of all emotions and feelings. If you can't do that, just keep your boredom and clear out everything else. Are you ready?"

Harry took a deep breath and cleared his mind. He nodded to show that he was ready.

She pointed her wand at him and said, "Legilimens"

_He was hiding behind a bench. He saw a group of boys and knew that they were looking for him. He felt fear creeping up his spine. _

"_LOOK! The freak is hiding there.", a boy with rat like face, Pier Polkiss said pointing at him._

_They came running towards him and he ran off as quickly as he could. Apparently, he was not quick enough as the rat faced boy caught him. The others soon caught up with him. Dudley threw the first punch. He felt his nose break. He fell down and his glasses fell off rendering him unable to see anything clearly. Another boy gave a swift kick to his ribs. He felt his ribs snap. He got kicked on his face when he opened his mouth to shout._

He saw Bellatrix standing in front of him trying to restrain her anger. He felt as if he was actually beaten up. He was quite tired and was sweating profusely. He saw her school her features to nonchalance.

"Did these incidents happen often?", she asked.

His first impulse was to say no but he knew that an expert legilimens like her would know that he was lying.

"I am quicker than all of them and so most of the times, they cannot catch me. That is what usually happens when they catch me.", Harry said.

"How old were you when it happened?", Bellatrix asked.

"Nine."

Bellatrix nodded in understanding.

"I have to go little early tonight. I want you to practice everything you have learned. You know how to vanish things, don't you?", she asked.

Harry nodded.

She continued, "Good. I am giving you another assignment. I want you to imagine a castle, any castle though you can picture Hogwarts if you want. I want you to set any traps of your liking outside the gates. If you want, you can place an extremely dangerous mythical creature to guard the castle. It is up to you. After that, I want you to go through all the memories and sort them into different sections. How you want to sort them is up to you. Sort everything you remember into these sections. There would be some memories or some sections of memories which you would want to keep secret. Hide them in secret passageways or chambers and put some password or any other form of restrictions on the entrance to them so that only you or those you approve of can enter and access the memories inside. Other memories can be kept in places of your choice. It is alright if you can't sort all the memories of your life. The process of sorting is an exercise which strengthens your mind which in turn helps you master Mind Arts quicker. This is taught to us purebloods much before we go to Hogwarts and it serves as a foundation when we learn the real Mind Arts. I also want you to practice wand less magic. Start with something small like levitation and slowly move on to more advanced spells like summoning. That too should have been taught to you before Hogwarts. Wand less magic is very difficult to learn once you start channeling your magic through a wand or a staff. I will check your progress in the assignments I have given when I come on the day after tomorrow."

"Yes, Professor Bellatrix", Harry replied causing her to smirk.

"Considering that we are going to get to know each other more, I insist you call me Bella."

Harry rolled his eyes and said, "Good bye, Bella."

Bellatrix lowered her face and gave Harry a chaste kiss on the lips surprising him. He watched her go with a smile on his face. He really was looking forward to seeing her again.

* * *

As Bellatrix was leaving, she saw Harry Potter's obese cousin stuffing his face with chocolate. She remembered that his name was Dudley. Normally, she would have considered him beneath her notice. But after knowing what she did, she knew that he deserved to be put in his place. As she was under the Disillusionment Charm, he would not be able to do anything even if she went in front of him and punched him in the face. She waited until he finished the chocolate on his hand and then cast the spell. She left the house inwardly congratulating herself for the wonderful prank.

* * *

Narcissa Malfoy was a woman who prided on being a proper pureblood lady. She neither swore allegiance to some dark lord nor did she run off with some mudblood. She got married into a respectable pureblood family, produced a heir and was living a lavish life as the Lady Malfoy. Being the life and blood of pureblood society, she was very good at keeping a calm and collected appearance even in the most stressful situations. But recent return to life of someone she had thought long dead and the events that followed it had been testing her skills to its limits. To say that she was angry to see her sister Bellatrix dragging what looked like an immobile muggle into her house was an understatement. She loved her sister and was happy to have her back but some of her antics make her wonder who exactly is the Lady of the house. She wondered why Bella did all this in her house when she had Lestrange Manor. She was no muggle lover by any means but that doesn't mean she liked seeing her house being turned into a torture chamber.

"What is the meaning of this, Bella?", Narcissa asked.

"I have just brought this thing home for practice. This muggle will be very useful when I have to teach my nephew important things that are necessary for him to know considering his new position of power."

Narcissa kept her expression nonchalant with some effort. She knew that her sister was talking about her son becoming a Death Eater. On the day Draco came back from school, the dark lord had visited the Malfoy Manor to recruit her son into his fold. She had then tried to convey to him through her eyes to reject the offer but he was too full of pride and anticipation to see it. She couldn't exactly blame him as his father had been filling his head with tales of how glorious it was to be a Death Eater. She didn't understand that. They were a rich pureblood family who had money that lasts for many generations, power, status in society and everything else a person could ever want. She couldn't understand why her husband chose to throw away everything for a mark. Now, her son had chosen to follow the same path to his doom.

"Where is that elf?"

A pop sound was heard and an elf in a small pillow case appeared.

"Mistress Bellatrix called Blinky."

"Yes, lock this thing up in the dungeons.", Bellatrix said pointing to the muggle.

The elf apparated off with the muggle.

* * *

After dinner, Bellatrix took her nephew to the dungeons where the muggle was kept.

"Look Draco! That is what a muggle looks like."

Draco looked at the muggle. He looked 16 and had a rat-like face that reminded him of Peter Pettigrew. He was unconscious right now. Bellatrix revived him with a flick of her wand. He opened his eyes and looked around stupidly. He then focused his eyes on them.

"What is your name, boy?", Bellatrix asked.

"Pier Polkiss. Where am I?", the muggle said.

"You don't ask questions here, muggle", Bellatrix snarled.

The muggle looked scared for a moment and then asked, "What is a muggle?"

"What do you know about magical people?", Bellatrix asked calmly.

"Freaks! Those abominations should be put in their places.", the muggle said scrunching his face in distaste.

"Have you put any of them in their place?", Bellatrix asked with an inquisitive look on her face.

"Yes. There is a freak in our neighborhood. Whenever we see him, we catch him and give him a good beating. These kinds of people should be locked up and not be allowed to roam around normal people.", he said proudly.

"Muggle is a term we magical people use to describe your kind.", she told him.

The muggle looked thoughtful for a moment before the real meaning of the words set in. When it did, he had a terrified look on his face causing Bellatrix to smirk.

She then told her nephew, "Draco, the muggles are like that. Those who know of the magical world believe that they are superior to us. That dirty blood actually called us abominations. We should exterminate these uncouth, mannerless hooligans and clean up our world. But some people like Dumbledore and Weasleys believe in muggle superiority and worship this filth. We call them blood traitors. Has your father told you about the Muggle Protection Act that Arthur Weasley proposed and Dumbledore used his influence to pass it through?"

"I once heard father ranting to mother about it but he never told me anything about it.", Draco said with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Your father tried his best to stop it but he was no match for Dumbledore's influence. That act made it illegal for us magical people to defend ourselves against dirty scoundrels like him while it was perfectly legal for them to 'beat us up' or torture us to death. This dirt has already admitted to taking advantage of the law.", Bellatrix replied.

Bellatrix looked at Draco to see that he was looking at the muggle with loathing.

"Draco, don't you think we should teach this muggle a few lessons?"

He nodded his head.

"Draco, now look carefully and learn", she said.

She then pointed her wand at the muggle and said, "repans ignis"

The muggle started screaming in pain causing Bellatrix to let out a cold laugh.

She then cancelled the curse and said, "The spell I cast burns the outer skin of the target. Now, I want you to do it."

Draco pointed his wand at the muggle and performed the curse. The muggle started screaming again which sounded like music to her ears. She then told him to stop.

"For a first timer, you have done well. Now, I will teach you my favorite curse. CRUCIO"

The muggle was now screaming more than ever before. She kept it for some time and then cancelled the curse. She then indicated to him to do it.

"Crucio"

It had no effect on the muggle.

Bellatrix let out a sigh of frustration as silently as she could.

She went behind him and said in his ear, "Draco, you are a pureblood and a Malfoy. You are the one everyone is supposed to look up to. But, people are looking up to Harry Potter, a mere **half-blood**. Why? Because he has a stupid scar on his head? People only know you as Harry Potter's enemy. All the teachers and the headmaster blatantly favor him. You were always a disappointment not only to your father but also to your housemates because **Potter **always beat you in Quidditch. He broke every rule and, instead of being punished, was rewarded. He is the reason your father is suffering in Azkaban and the Malfoy name has gone to dust."

She looked at him to see that he was now practically shaking with fury.

"Imagine the muggle as Harry Potter. He made you suffer all these years. Now, it is your chance to take revenge. Do it."

Draco pointed his wand at the muggle and said, "CRUCIO"

The muggle immediately began writing in pain.

"Good work, Draco. Continue pouring your anger and hatred in to the spell. Imagine Potter on the floor writhing in pain."

The muggle was now screaming as loud as his throat will allow.

"Now, twirl you wand slightly and you can see the muggle jumping about like the pathetic creature it is."

Draco twirled his wand and soon the muggle was jumping about.

"That is enough for today. You can stop now."

He cancelled the curse and saw that she was healing him.

"Why are you healing him?", Draco asked.

He never cared what happened to the muggle but he was curious as to why his aunt would kindness to a muggle.

"Some people don't deserve to die. They should **live** to regret it. This muggle is your personal dummy now. You will come to the dungeons whenever you get a free time and tor … I mean practice everything you learned on him. Remember, he should remain alive at least until I bring another one. You can go now."

'That is more like the Aunt Bella I know.', Draco thought.

Draco left the dungeons leaving his aunt to her thoughts. Bellatrix made sure her nephew had left and sighed. She knew that she was playing a dangerous game that could easily backfire on her. She didn't want to lower herself to Lucius' level by putting the wrong ideas into his impressionable mind but it was necessary. Being a new recruit, the dark lord will constantly scan his mind. It is important that Draco doesn't have any doubts about the dark lord while he is here or anywhere else the dark lord can reach. It is necessary not only to keep her cover but also to keep him alive. She would be damned before she allowed him to end up like Regulus.

* * *

I have originally intended it to be a Harry/Bella pairing but I am confused now. I would like to know the opinion of everyone on whether I should continue this story as a Harry/Bella pairing or is Bella restricting herself to mentor cum guardian better for the story. With the present beginning, it can go either path without any fuss. I will read all the reviews and PMs and the majority will win. I am not much of a fluff person and so there wouldn't be much fluff either way.

Due to the recent events, I will not be having a sex scene if I am doing the pairing.

Please leave your reviews and suggestions as they inspire me to update faster.


	3. Second Day of Training

**Disclaimer :**I do not own Harry Potter though I wish I owned Bellatrix Lestrange.

* * *

' ' – Thoughts

" " – Speaking in English

" " – _Speaking in Parseltongue / Memory_

* * *

**S/N : **This begins at the end of Harry Potter's 5th year.

* * *

**Sirius Black's Gambit**

**3 : Second Day of Training**

Harry got up early and stretched his muscles. He put his glasses on and went on to finish his morning ablutions. He then went downstairs to have breakfast. He knew that there was something wrong but he couldn't point a finger to what it was. He sat at the table and started to eat. He suddenly realized what was wrong. Dudley was not eating. He then saw that Vernon and Petunia were dragging Dudley to the table while he was resisting. They dragged him with some effort and made him sit. He seems to be trying to get as far away from the food as he can.

"Eat something, Duddikins. It isn't healthy for growing children to starve.", Petunia said.

"I don't want to eat anything.", Dudley whined.

Harry was surprised. The only time he remembered Dudley whining about not wanting food was when he was very small. He used to throw quite a tantrum then and Harry would wisely finish off the flimsy amount of food he was allowed before Dudley overturned the table. Petunia and Vernon made him sit with an effort and she stuffed his mouth forcefully with food. He vomited everything and ran off the first chance he got. Usually, they would have blamed him and punished him for it but Moody's not-so-subtle threat and his little show of dominance had finally driven into their thick skulls that it was better for their health to leave him to his devices. He finished his portion quickly and returned to his room.

* * *

Harry thought about the assignments that Bellatrix had given him. The assignments had certainly increased from the last time. He hoped that it was a one-time thing. As much as he liked her, he didn't like doing assignments. He chose to take on the occlumency assignment first as it is the most difficult for him right now. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the image of Hogwarts sitting on the top of a hill with a sprawling gate serving as its entrance. He was momentarily confused about what he should place to guard the entrance. He went through all the dangerous creatures he knew about. His first thought was to use a basilisk but then he decided that a dragon was better. After thinking for a moment, he chose his opponent at The First Task: Hungarian Horntail. He placed two Hungarian Horntails on each side of the gate. He knew that they would burn down any intruders to ash. He then thought about the memories to be placed inside. But he had so many memories that unearthing and sorting all of them would be a time consuming task. He also had to decide how to categorize his memories. He then decided that his secrets will be hidden in the Room of Requirement and the Chamber of Secrets. He chose to keep the other memories in the places on which it occurred and decided to categorize according to the time of occurrence. He began with the most important events that contributed to shaping of his life as it had become and then continued with other memories. Soon, his stomach rumbled causing him to open his eyes. He realized that it was time for lunch. He went downstairs to have his lunch. He noticed that Dudley still refused to come anywhere near food. They were trying to decide whether they should take him to a doctor or not. He quickly finished his lunch and went back to his room.

The next assignment was to practice wand less magic. He took the lightest book from his trunk and kept it on the bed. He was confused now. Bella had never told him how to do wand less magic. Now that he thought about it, she left in quite a hurry. He tried to remember whether he had seen anyone do wand less magic. He remembered that in last year when his wand had fallen down somewhere, he made the wand light up even though it was not in his hand. It was not strictly wand less magic but it would be a good place to start. He kept the wand on the bed pointing at the book.

"Wingardium Leviosa"

Nothing happened. He sighed. He knew that Levitation Charm was more advanced than a Lighting spell and would require more magical energy.

"Lumos"

A light lit up at the end of the wand. He now knew that he had the necessary potential.

"Nox"

The light extinguished itself. He thought about what to do next. He decided that he would perfect casting the Levitation Charm indirectly and then move on to wand less casting. So, he tried again.

"Wingardium Leviosa"

The book looked like it was about to be lifted but it stayed on the bed.

"WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA"

The book suddenly lifted a feet and a half into the air and stayed there for a few seconds before falling down. He then realized that his will power was the key. He then continued practicing willing his magic to lift the book to the desired height. After half an hour of continuous practice, he perfected it. He felt tired now and decided to rest for a while before he started practicing wand less casting. When he was sure that he was well rested, he looked at the book and once again wondered how to do it. He then felt that doing the same wand movements assuming that wand is in your hand could yield the same results. He practiced with a wand many times to memorize how his hand moves and then did the movements without his wand. The book lifted slightly into the air before falling. He realized that he was correct. He practiced it until he perfected it. He then moved on to the summoning charm. It proved to be much tougher but he got it perfected in an hour. He realized that it was now time for dinner and headed downstairs. He quickly finished his dinner and returned to his room. He continued his occlumency assignment until he fell asleep.

* * *

He woke up early and went downstairs to have breakfast. He was surprised to see that Dudley was still not eating anything. He got a feeling that something was seriously wrong but he dismissed it. He had no right to interfere in Dudley's affairs. He quickly finished his breakfast and returned to his room. He then started trying to cast a wand less nonverbal Levitation charm. It was much more difficult than he had imagined and by the time he had perfected it, it was lunch. After lunch, he practiced the spells he had learned. After practicing wand less magic, his casting seemed easier. He then took a well earned rest waiting for Bellatrix's arrival.

He suddenly moved and flicked his wand deflecting a stunner that seemed to come out of nowhere.

"I am happy to see that you have learned from your mistake.", said a voice from nowhere.

Suddenly, Bellatrix appeared out of thin air. He realized that she had been under Disillusionment Charm. He decided that he will ask her to teach him sometime.

He pointed his wand at her and said in a commanding voice, "Prove that you are who you appear to be."

"I know that you haven't told anyone else about your crush on Narcissa.", Bellatrix said with a smirk.

Harry lowered his wand blushing and said, "I don't have a crush on her. It was just a fantasy I had in my 4th year."

"It is good to see that there are competent people in the Order of Phoenix. You do know something after all.", she said.

Harry rolled his eyes and ignored the indirect insult.

"How far are you at the assignments I gave you?", she asked.

"Well, I am nowhere near finishing the Occlumency assignment. I can do Levitation charm wand less nonverbal while I can summon wand less verbally. I have also practiced all the spells we discussed yesterday."

With a wave of her hand, she disarmed him and summoned his wand to her hands. He could only watch in disbelief as she threw away the wand.

"Now, I want to see you summon your wand.", she said as an explanation.

Harry flicked his hand and said, "Accio wand"

His wand came flying into his hands.

"Well, you are far ahead of my expectations, which is a good thing. I would expect the same dedication from you in the future. Now, to satisfy my curiosity, where do you keep your wand when you are not using it?", she said.

"My back pocket. Why?", he asked.

"Don't you have a wand holster to keep you wand in? Everyone who can afford it buys it along with their wand. I thought, as a Potter heir, you would have bought one.", she asked quite surprised.

"No one told me about it. Hagrid just rushed me through everything.", he said.

"No wonder you don't know anything. Hagrid was the one who showed you around. It is like blind leading the blind. It doesn't matter now. I want you to buy it the next time you go to Diagon Alley. The fraction of second you save due to it could be the difference between life and death for you.", she said sternly.

Harry nodded in acceptance. She conjured a dummy that looked like a Death Eater.

"I am going to teach you a spell which burns the outer skin of the Death Eater. Remember, Harry, when you cast a dark spell, you should use your negative emotions like anger and hatred to cast the spell. Look carefully and learn.", she said.

She pointed her wand at the dummy and said, "repans ignis"

The dummy's skin became hot and soon it turned red. She cancelled the spell and applied a Cooling charm on it. She indicated for him to cast the spell. He cast the spell and the dummy's skin turned red.

"It is satisfactory for a first timer. I want you to practice as often as possible. Now, this spell burns down the target. ", she said.

"Flammasectum"

A jet of hot flame erupted from her wand and burned down the dummy to ashes in a few seconds. She conjured another dummy and turned to him.

"Did you get the correct wand motions or do you want me to show you again?", she asked.

"It is not necessary. I got it."

Harry thought about all the bad things that had happened to him. He felt hatred and fury rise up within him. He pointed his wand at the dummy and said, "Flammasectum"

Red, hot flames erupted from his wand and went straight towards the dummy. The dummy burned down quickly.

"Is this really your first time?", Bellatrix asked him raising her eyebrows.

"Yes."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say that you have already used this spell a lot of times. I'd never seen anyone, other than the dark lord and me, who cast that spell so perfectly before.", she said clearly impressed.

Harry blushed on hearing her complement. He knew that she rarely ever gave complements and so it was a prized memory for him.

She vanished the ashes and conjured another dummy.

"Now, this is Severus Snape's creation. Observe and learn. Sectumsempra", she said.

There was a sound of sword slashing and then the dummy was chopped into many pieces. Harry was shocked. He wondered what Snape was thinking when he created that curse.

'It looks bad enough on a dummy. I don't want to know how bad it will be if it is done on a person.'

She vanished them and conjured another dummy.

"I know it looks bad and I am hoping you wouldn't have to ever use it. I will teach you the counter curse if you learn to cast the curse perfectly.", Bella said.

Harry nodded in reply and stepped forward.

"Sectumsempra", he said doing the necessary wand movements.

There were many slashes on the dummy but it was still in one piece.

"That is what will happen if you don't cast the spell properly. The wounds are cursed and cannot be healed by a simple Episkey. There is another spell for cursed wounds."

She pointed her wand at the dummy and said, "Vulnera Santeur"

She ran her wand along the length of the wound and the wound closed itself. She did that twice for each wound.

"If it was a person, he/she would have to be hospitalized for a few weeks. As you can see, the scars will remain as a permanent reminder. It is a very dangerous curse and don't use it unless you don't have any other option.", Bellatrix said.

She vanished the dummy and conjured a rat.

"Now, I want to see how good you are at Cruciatus curse.", she said.

He pointed his wand at the rat and said, "Crucio"

The rat shook for a moment and then nothing happened. Bellatrix went behind him and corrected his position.

She said in his ear, "Look at the rat. The traitorous rat was the one who betrayed your parents. He was the one who framed your godfather. He was the one who brought back the dark lord. He is the reason you are living in this muggle place alone and neglected. He is the reason you never had a chance to get to know your parents or your godfather. After all the suffering he has given you, does he deserve to live lavishly, safe and protected by the dark lord? Don't you think he should know what suffering is?"

He nodded tersely. Bellatrix could see that he was very furious.

"Then make him suffer.", she said before withdrawing from his ear.

Harry pointed his wand at the rat and said, "Crucio"

Now, the rat was writhing in pain. A cold smile came on his face that would have scared any normal person.

"Now, twirl your wand slightly and you can see him jumping about trying to contain the pain."

Harry slightly twirled his wand and saw the rat jumping about.

"Now, finish it off.", she said.

"Avada Kedavra", Harry said killing the rat.

She vanished the rat and asked him, "Do you feel better now?"

"I know that I didn't kill the real Pettigrew but still I feel as if a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders. ", Harry said with a tentative smile on his face.

She returned his smile and ruffled his hair. He wondered what would have happened if he had admitted to his friends about his desire for revenge. Ron would have looked at him as if he had grown two heads then shouted for everyone to hear about how he has gone dark and stomped off like a 5 year old child. Hermione would have lectured him for many hours until he admits that he is wrong to crave for revenge. Bellatrix understood him perfectly. She would never think ill of him for it as she had done worse. She is the one person to whom he can show his true self.

"Now, we continue from the last time and work on your speed and stamina. Ready?", she asked.

"As ready as I will ever be.", he replied.

She started with a stunner which he blocked. She increased the speed of casting and so did he. Soon, one stunner swept past his defenses and knocked him down.

She revived him and said, "You have done much better than the last time. It looks like wand less casting has done you good."

Then he started his barrage of curses all of which she blocked with ease. He got tired after some time and stopped.

"Do you ever fail to block a curse?", he asked in exasperation.

"The stakes are higher for me. If I fail to block, that will be my end. Anyway, your performance was much better than last time. If you keep improving at this rate, I might be tempted to recommend you to my sister for the position of her daughter's dueling instructor.", she said with a smirk.

He rolled his eyes. He knew that the main purpose of her statement was to insult her niece rather than complement him. She let him rest for a few minutes.

"Harry, do you have any previous experience in dueling?"

"In my 2nd year, Professor Lockhart started a dueling club. It wasn't much of a success."

"Professor Lockhart as in the worthless idiot Gilderoy Lockhart?"

"Yes, the one and only. Do you know him?"

"Personally? No. He was a Hufflepuff several years my junior. I have only heard about how much of an irritating prick he is. What happened in the Dueling Club any way?"

"It started with Lockhart talking about his supposed greatness. Then Snape blasted away Lockhart in what was supposed to be a duel. Then came a duel between Draco and me in which everyone came to know that I am a parselmouth."

"You are a parselmouth?", Bellatrix asked astonished.

"Yeah, I am."

"Then say something in parseltongue."

He closed his eyes, imagined a snake moving and said, _"Salazar, greatest of the four."_

He opened his eyes to see her looking gob smacked.

"We will talk about this later. Now, it is time for dueling. Do you know the rules of conventional dueling?", Bellatrix asked.

"We will bow to the other. Then walk away forty paces and then start on referee's signal. No Unforgivables allowed.", Harry replied.

"Correct. Those are the rules you have to comply with when you participate in a competition. In real life fighting, the only rule is to survive. Now, I will show you the dueling stances."

She then held his hand and showed him all the dueling stances. Then they both got into their dueling stances. She started off with a stunner which he blocked. She continued casting many low level spells all of which he blocked. He suddenly felt something hit his legs from behind and fell forward. She took that chance to disarm and stun him.

She asked after reviving him, "Did you know how you lost?"

"Something hit me in the leg from behind. I was distracted and you used that chance.", Harry said.

Bellatrix flicked her wand and he saw his bed moving back. He suddenly realized that she had summoned the bed so that it will hit him from behind.

"First rule of dueling is to be aware of your surroundings and use it to your advantage. But, I thought I had already taught you that rule in the Dept. of Mysteries.", she said raising her eyebrow.

He suddenly remembered that she had attacked him for calling Voldemort a half-blood. She knew that someone else will deflect it and it will hit a prophecy. He realized now that she was giving him a hint.

'Bella's mind works in weird ways.', he thought shaking his head.

"The time for dueling class is over. Harry, do you know any unused space I can clear up to have space so that we can practice dueling?", she asked.

"We have a basement which we have never used other than for dumping Dudley's old things. If we clear that up, we will have that space for dueling.", he replied.

"If I remember well, this room was used for storing that boy's broken things too. How many toys does he have?", she asked.

"He has so much that he stores them in the attic too. If a toy breaks, which it will, he will demand a new one but he won't allow the others to throw out the broken toys.", he replied.

"There is no use talking about it now. Ask me something.", she said.

"No. Ladies first.", he replied.

"You are a well mannered gentleman, aren't you? If you insist, I will ask. Tell me how many girlfriends did you have till now?", Bellatrix asked.

"Why are you so interested in my romantic life?", Harry said blushing furiously.

"I am just one of the many who wants to know about the conquests of The-Boy-Who-Lived.", she said.

"I hate that moniker. I wonder who came up with that.", he said scowling causing her to laugh.

He continued, "It is nothing like what you think. There was a girl I was in love with. I went on a date with her once which turned out to be a disaster. So, there is nothing much to entertain you as that is the only romantic experience I have had."

"Are you saying that you are still a virgin?", she asked.

Harry's face turned red with embarrassment.

"It doesn't matter.", he said.

"Now, I am curious. Are you really a virgin?", she asked.

"Yes, I am a virgin. Happy?", he replied.

Bella put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Don't worry, Harry. You won't stay that way for long. Fudge has just recently admitted that you were right all along. Everyone knows now about how you bravely fought off the Death Eaters. You are Mr. Popular now. Some girl will take your virginity soon enough with or without your permission."

She smirked when she saw him hiding his face with his hands. It was quite entertaining for her to see him blushing and spluttering whenever any topic related to romance comes up.

"What about you? I know that you were quite the beauty when you were in school.", Harry said.

"I did have a few dates here and there but nothing much came of it. Due to the society I grew up in, I could only date purebloods of dark or neutral families. The society was very conservative then. Among the choices that I had, not many were ready to date a girl who not only was more magically powerful than them also stubborn, headstrong and highly opinionated. They wanted a trophy wife. Those who were interested in me feared me too much to ask me out. Even Andy had trouble dating because no one wanted to get on my bad side by breaking her heart. Among the Black sisters, Narcissa was the rule abiding one, Andromeda was the rule breaker while I considered rules beneath me.", Bellatrix replied.

"So, who was your first?", Harry asked.

She looked at him and raised an eyebrow causing him to flush in embarrassment. He berated himself for his lack of subtlety and tact. He shouldn't have let his curiosity get ahead of him.

"Rodolphus was my first, obviously. The tradition dictates that the pureblood women are supposed to remain virgin until their wedding night. It was followed quite strictly in my time. I believe that since then many families have become more liberal. I suggest you ask your pureblood friends whether they still follow that tradition. If the present topic is making you uncomfortable, you can ask me about any other topic.", Bellatrix said.

Harry thought for a moment and then asked, "How was life being a spy among the Death Eaters?"

"Horrible. In the beginning, I wasn't entrusted with any important work. My task was to find out information about many priceless artifacts, especially the Founders' artifacts. There were occasional muggle raids but they weren't important enough to report. I had also noticed that he had a special attachment towards the Founders' artifact. By the time, I started getting important work, uncle Orion had already died and my father followed him not long after. As uncle Orion didn't trust his wife enough to tell her, I never had anyone to give reports to. So, I followed the only order I had then : keep my cover at any cost. I had to wait until Sirius took over the headship of the Black family for new orders. You know what happened after that."

He nodded. He knew that she was referring to Sirius' crazy plan. There was a tense silence for a moment as they both were reminded of what they had lost.

"Can you show me the memory of your 2nd year? I believe that Chamber of Secrets was opened then.", she said in an attempt to break the awkward silence that had formed between them.

"Yes, that was when the Chamber of Secrets was opened. Many muggleborns were petrified though luckily none of them died.", he replied.

He took a silver tendril from his forehead and placed it into the pensive. He saw Bellatrix going inside the pensive and wondered what her reaction is going to be.

After some time, she came out of the pensive. She seemed shocked but her features quickly changed to that of fury.

"I would like to know what the incompetent old fool was doing if you were left to fight a basilisk", she said in a cold voice that promised retribution.

"Dumbledore was suspended then. So, he couldn't do anything. Still, he did send Fawkes to help me.", Harry replied in an attempt to calm her down.

She took a deep breath and nodded.

"What happened to Lockhart?", she asked.

"He is in St. Mungos with no memory. The wand he used to obliviate me was Ron's which was broken. So, the curse backfired on him.", he said.

She nodded in acceptance. Harry knew that if that hadn't happened, she would have personally hunted him down and made him that way.

She then looked at him scrutinizing him and said, "Usually, when a person succeeds in killing a basilisk, they don't act as if it is something they do daily. I guess that is what makes you different."

Harry blushed and said, "I had help. I couldn't have done it had Fawkes not arrived in time."

"It is endearing to see such humility when people who have not even achieved half as much as you did strut around like they own the world. But, I suggest you hide these endearing qualities as they are seen as weaknesses. We are in a war and we need allies. If people should form an alliance with you and respect you as a leader, you need to show yourself as a strong and powerful figure.", she replied.

He nodded in agreement.

She continued, "I know that you found out the truth about Sirius in your 3rd year. What happened in your 4th year?"

"In my 4th year, the Triwizard Tournament took place in Hogwarts. There was a new rule that only those who are 17 and above were allowed to participate in the tournament. But, your old friend Barty Crouch Jr. polyjuiced as 'Mad Eye' Moody altered the magics of the Goblet of Fire such that it spat out four names instead of three and the fourth name was mine."

"Barty was my student not my friend. I guess I should be proud of him if he had managed to outwit Moody. He certainly has learned well. Who were the other three participants?", she asked.

"Cedric Diggory from Hogwarts, Victor Krum from Durmstrang and Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons", he replied.

"Who won the tournament?", she asked.

Harry raised his eyebrow at her and said, "Me, obviously. I thought you already knew that."

"Yes, I did know that. After all, I did get Daily Prophet subscriptions in Azkaban.", she said sarcasm clear in her voice.

"I forgot about that. Your _student_ used his privileges as a teacher and manipulated the conditions to ensure my victory. There were three tasks which had to be completed before the winner is decided. The third task was to reach the Cup which is situated in the center of the maze. The Cup was meant to be a port key out of the maze but it was altered so that I would be sent to the graveyard in which Voldemort would be waiting for me with the traitorous rat. I can show you what happened in the three tasks if you want to see."

She nodded in agreement.

He took out two memories and placed them in the pensive. He saw her going inside the pensive and come out after some time.

"Did you know that you would be fighting a dragon in your First Task?", she asked.

"Yes. None of us were supposed to know that. But, Hagrid showed me along with Madame Maxime, the headmistress of Beauxbatons and Igor Karkaroff, the headmaster of Durmstrang. So, only Cedric didn't know that. It was not fair. So, I told Cedric later.", Harry said.

"Being the loudmouthed Gryffindor that you are, you would have announced in the Great Hall that the first task was dragons and went on a rant about how unfair everything is.", Bellatrix said smirking.

"I did not do that. I told Cedric after I got him alone.", Harry replied blushing furiously.

"Did he return the favor?", she asked.

"Well, he gave me clue as to how to work out the Egg.", he replied.

"Isn't it curious that while you outright told him everything, he only gave you a clue?", she asked.

"I know what you are implying. I felt like an idiot too at that time.", he replied.

"You _are_ an idiot, Harry dear.", she said making him scowl.

She continued, "Harry, knowledge is power. Every word you use and every piece of information you give will be used against you. So, it is important that you give the least amount of information possible while collecting the most amount of information. I thought that with Dumbledore intent on learning everything about others and ruthlessly protecting his secrets, you would have learned the lesson a long time ago. You shouldn't have told him openly. You should have given him some clue or riddle he would have to work hard to solve like he did with you. Remember, Harry, anything given freely will not be valued."

Harry nodded. He remembered that he always explained everything in detail whenever Dumbledore asked him anything which was quite often but Dumbledore always spoke in riddles with many inner meanings which he expected the others to know. He wondered why he had never realized it till that time and vowed to be more careful in the future.

"Anyway, you have done well to get in the good graces of the Delacour girl. That would be a useful friendship especially now.", she said.

"I don't understand what you mean.", he said.

"It was obvious that she was impressed with you. Delacour family is one of the most powerful pureblood families in France. Their influence in French Ministry can be compared to the influence Black family had in the British ministry before the dark lord's rise. At present, the other ministries consider the present war an internal problem of England and have adopted a policy of non-interference in spite of the pleas for help Albus Dumbledore and many others have given. If there is friendship or something more between you, then she is in danger from the Death Eaters too. So, French ministry, with a good push from the Delacour family, will assist us in wiping out the Death Eaters. You must have noticed that French always look down upon the British. Unlike the British, French are competent whether it is Ministry official or Law Enforcement Squads. Our Aurors will look like school children compared to their French counterparts. Lucius was neither lying nor exaggerating when he said that the standard of education in Hogwarts is very low. We, British, are the laughing stock in the international arena. I am guessing that you did not possess enough intelligence to continue that friendship after that year.", she said.

He flushed in embarrassment. He wondered how Bellatrix could always make him feel like the biggest idiot in the world with a few words.

"Do you want to see the memory of the Third Task and what happened after that?", he asked.

Harry hoped she wouldn't see through his attempt at changing the topic. He didn't want her to find another fault of his and think less of him.

"Yes, I want to see that memory.", she said.

If she detected the sudden change of subject, she did not show it. He took back his other memories and put those memories in the pensive. She dipped her head into it and went inside.

She returned and said, "It is time for your occlumency training."

* * *

To say that Narcissa Malfoy was unhappy would be an understatement. But when your family gets into the bad books of a certain dark lord and the said dark lord shows a special interest in your child, sleepless nights tend to be more frequent than you are comfortable with. So, when she found herself unable to sleep even at 4, she decided to get in a bit of light reading.

"Tilly!"

"Yes, Mistress"

"Get me a strong tea. I will be in the library."

She went to the Magical History section as it was her favorite. While searching for a good book, she saw Bella sitting at a corner of the Dark Arts section furiously trying to take in all the information from the book in front of her while simultaneously taking notes. She didn't understand what her sister as doing and thought that a little inquiry wouldn't hurt. She walked towards her and stood in front of her. Bellatrix still didn't realize that she was not alone which surprised Narcissa as Bella, being one of the best duelists of her time, always knew when someone else was in the vicinity.

"Bella"

Bella suddenly jumped up and pointed her wand at her. She brought her wand back down and sat back on recognizing her.

"Cissy, I thought you were asleep.", she said.

She looked and sounded tired. It looked like she had been working the whole night.

"I couldn't sleep. Bella, what are you doing?", she replied.

She took a peek at one of the notes

_Highly corrosive substance ~ basilisk venom_

_Extremely hot environment ~ fiendfyre_

Bella managed to hide it before she could read anything else.

"Cissy, it is for the dark lord.", she replied.

Narcissa nodded in understanding. She should have known that if Bella was working so hard, it will be for the dark lord.

"You look very tired, Bella. Why don't you get some sleep? I am sure you can continue tomorrow.", she said.

"There is only a little more to do, Cissy. I will sleep after that.", Bella replied.

"Alright."

Narcissa then went off to search for a good book leaving Bellatrix to her thoughts. She wasn't lying when she told Narcissa that it was for the dark lord. It certainly was for the dark lord, for his destruction to be more exact. She let a feral smile curl up her lips as the thought came to her mind. Had anyone else seen her at that time, they would have thought that she was imagining the torture of muggles or muggleborns. She shook her mind off the morbid thoughts and thought about the boy she had been doing this for. The memory that he had shown her of his 2nd year had been quite informative. She wondered how the boy knew to use basilisk fang when she didn't know anything about it before her research tonight. At least, now she understood why Lucius throwing away the diary made the dark lord so furious that he is risking losing his most prized followers with his revenge plot. She remembered that Lucius was given the diary for the very purpose that he had used it but he was supposed to wait for the dark lord's signal. This fact brought out another revelation that the diary was not the only one which scared her. Her bets were now on the Hufflepuff's Cup that has been sitting innocently in the Lestrange family vault for decades. She would have to run a detailed check on it and then decide what to do with it. Anyway, Harry had fared much better than the last time in everything other than occlumency. She was not perturbed as that day's occlumency training had only proved her initial assumptions correct. She had told him playing the game she had recommended will improve the strength of his mind. But, she could see that he already has a powerful mind and didn't need any extra training. The game was intended to help him clear his emotional baggage and order the mess that his life has become. She didn't tell him that as she had found out from her time with him that he finds it difficult to accept complements and believe it to be true. After these problems are solved, he would already be a powerful Occlumens and Legilimens without any further training. She wondered why neither Snape nor Dumbledore could see what was right in front of them. She mused that Snape's hatred for James Potter must have blinded him as usual. She hoped that the assignment she gave him to practice legilmency on muggles would be a good confidence boost and would help increase his self confidence. She felt a yawn escape her mouth and decided that it was time to sleep. She returned the book to its place and took her notes with her to her room.

* * *

I am very happy right now as so many readers have spend some time in reviewing my story. I am amazed by the response that I got and I thank everyone who have put an effort.

It won't be Harry/ Hermione as I hate that pairing. I don't hate Hermione. I just believe that they won't make a good pair. The same goes with Ginny. She is too childish for him.

As for the pairing of the story, the reviews I have received are 24-10 in favor of Harry/Bella including the ones who are open to both. But, some who are against the pairing have given detailed explanations which I agree with. I am still open to more suggestions and reviews.

The plan I have is to have Bella be a mentor and mother figure to him now when he is just a boy and pair them up later when he becomes man enough for her after he gains some necessary ... life experience.

The story will be going the same line as canon with some changes. Here, Harry would be making wonders happen rather than wonder what happened. Harry is till a child now but he is becoming more independent and self reliant as time goes. Hogwarts will be witnessing the arrival of a different Harry than the one that left a few months before. I won't spoil your surprise anymore.

Also, I will be taking the advice of many reviewers and will write the story without lemons. I will write the lemons separately in a site that allows adult scenes and give the link here.


	4. Last Day of Training

**Disclaimer :**I do not own Harry Potter though I wish I owned Bellatrix Lestrange.

* * *

' ' – Thoughts

" " – Speaking in English

" " – _Speaking in Parseltongue / Memory_

* * *

**S/N : **This begins at the end of Harry Potter's 5th year. There are mentions of sex in the last part and those not interested can skip that.

* * *

**Sirius Black's Gambit**

**4 : Last Day of Training**

To anyone who knew about the place, Spinner's End was a no different from the other middle class neighborhoods. But, the blonde woman who apparently appeared out of thin air seemed to think differently. As she started walking, a pop sound was heard suddenly and a woman with wild black hair appeared seemingly out of thin air.

She pointed her wand at a distance and said, "Avada Kedavra"

A green light was emitted from her wand and the sound of something falling down was heard.

"It was just a fox. I thought it was an Auror.", Bellatrix said bitterly.

Narcissa strode forward with determination ignoring her sister. She went to one of the houses and knocked on the door.

"Cissy, what are you doing here? You are not doing what I think you are doing, are you? The dark lord had specifically ordered us to keep it a secret."

At that time, the door opened to reveal a tall, sallow faced man with black hair and hooked nose. He looked both ways to check whether anyone was looking and said, "Come in."

"Take a seat. Would you like a cup of tea?"

Narcissa quickly sat down and requested for tea while Bellatrix remained standing and refused to have anything.

"Wormtail, bring us some tea and scones.", Snape said.

There was sound of scurrying footsteps and then a short, pudgy rat faced man arrived with a tray containing tea and scones. He kept the tray on the table.

"Wormtail, leave us now."

He was reluctant at first but decided that it was better to leave upon receiving a fierce glare from the other man.

Snape turned to Narcissa and said, "What do you want?"

"Severus, I-"

"Wait!"

Snape flicked his wand causing the curtains to open revealing an eavesdropping Wormtail.

"Didn't I tell you to leave, Wormtail?", Snape asked with a cold edge in his voice causing the smaller man to scurry away in fear.

Snape put a privacy ward around them and said, "You can speak now."

"Narcissa, don't trust him. His loyalty is towards Dumbledore.", Bellatrix said.

"I don't need to tell you this, still, my true loyalty is only towards the dark lord.", Snape said.

"Really", Bella sneered, "I know that you didn't go when the dark lord called everyone after his resurrection. Where were you then?"

"I went to him an hour after that. I will tell you the same thing that I told the dark lord. I stayed behind in school to fool Dumbledore into believing that I am on his side. Considering that I am still alive, the dark lord believes that it was the right decision too.", he said in a cool tone.

"Then, tell me why did you denounce the dark lord and stuck yourself to Dumbledore after he was gone?", she asked.

"Do you really think the dark lord hadn't asked me all these questions? I felt that I would be more useful to him in a position of trust in Dumbledore's side than rotting away in Azkaban.", he said looking at her and continued, "The dark lord trusts me. So, unless you are implying that the dark lord had made a mistake …"

Bella bristled at the realization that Snape had made sure that she cannot object without giving away her position.

"Now that the interrogation is over, tell me what the problem is, Narcissa.", he said.

"I don't know whether I should tell you. The dark lord had told us not to tell anyone else."

Snape interrupted by saying coldly, "If the dark lord had specifically ordered not to tell anyone else, don't speak a word of it"

His sudden cold tone scared Narcissa who sat up.

Bella saw her chance and jumped in.

"See, even Snape is saying that we shouldn't disobey the dark lord's direct order. Come on, Narcissa, let's leave."

"In fact, I do know of the mission. The dark lord has personally told me about it.", Snape said.

Narcissa looked at Snape and said, "Draco is just a child. He is not capable enough to perform the task. Can't you talk to the dark lord?"

"Once the dark lord makes up his mind, no one can change it and I am not foolish enough to try.", Snape said coldly.

Narcissa looked pleadingly at him and said, "Then, will you protect him throughout the year and help him perform the task?"

"I will try to do what I can.", Snape said.

Bella inwardly sighed. Unlike what many thought, she wasn't sadistic enough to want her nephew to suffer alone trying to accomplish a task that everyone knows he will fail at. She just didn't trust Snape. She knew that he was Dumbledore's man in spite of his insistence otherwise and would sell them off to him. He would personally kill Draco if Dumbledore tells him that it was for the greater good.

'Why make a deal with an untrustworthy vermin like Snape when there was someone trustworthy?'

She had never asked Harry yet but she was sure that he would put aside old rivalries and protect her nephew for her. But, she couldn't tell her sister not only because she was a poor Occlumens comparatively but also because she believed all the lies her stupid nephew had told about the boy and wouldn't trust him. As Narcissa seemed insistent on putting her son's life in Snape's hands, she might as well make sure that he would do as he claims.

"Don't try to slip away, Snape. Considering how insistent you are claiming that your true loyalty is towards the dark lord, why don't you make an Unbreakable Vow to protect Draco and help him in his mission?", she asked.

"That is not necessary.", he replied.

"See, Narcissa, he was planning on ratting Draco out to Dumbledore rather than protecting him.", Bella said.

Snape turned towards Bellatrix and said, "I will make the Unbreakable Vow if you are ready to be the bonder."

Bellatrix was surprised. Even if she knew that she had trapped him perfectly, she had never expected him to agree so quickly. Severus and Narcissa joined hands and she tapped them to begin the magic of Unbreakable Vow.

"Severus, will you protect Draco from all the dangers throughout the year?"

"Yes, I will."

A blue light left her wand and wrapped around their hands.

"Severus, will you help Draco with his mission to the utmost of your ability?"

"Yes, I will"

A second blue light left her wand and wrapped around their hands.

"Severus, will you complete the mission for Draco if he finds himself incapable of completing it himself?"

Bella raised her eyebrow in surprise. They had never discussed this particular detail at all. She had to try hard to keep a poker face when she realized how easily Narcissa had duped Snape with her pleading eyes. With her innocent and angelic face, people had a tendency to underestimate her and she knew well how to exploit that to get what she wanted. Bella mused that this technique that they used must be what kids call 'Good Auror, Bad Auror'.

"Yes, I will", Snape said after a moment of hesitation.

A third blue light came from her wand and wrapped around their hands.

After the Vow was taken, Narcissa took her hands off Snape's and got up. Bella looked at Snape to see that he was keeping up an emotionless mask. Being a spy herself, she recognized the expression to be 'What have I got myself into?' look.

"Narcissa, now that you have got what you wanted, we shouldn't intrude on Snape's privacy any longer.", Bella said hiding her smirk.

She left the house with Narcissa quickly knowing that Snape was waiting for them to leave so that he could floo off to Dumbledore's office. She let a smug smile come onto her lips as she knew that even Dumbledore's hundred years of political experience would not save him from their trap.

'This is what happens when you play with the Black sisters.'

* * *

Many days had passed similarly with Bella sneaking to his room and teaching him many things. His education mainly centered on Dark Arts as it was Bellatrix's specialty but she had also taught him many other things. She would randomly bring up a topic and inquire about his knowledge on the subject. Then she would tell him many things that he didn't know before. She sometimes showed him the memory of many of her duels after which they would analyze everything. She had told him the weaknesses of many Death Eaters. According to her, if Dolohov was half as good in Dark Arts or Charms as he was in Transfiguration, Hermione would not have lived. She had also told him his scar was in the shape of a rune symbol called sowilo. She had then given him a brief explanation about the subjects Ancient Runes and Arithmancy and the reason it was beneficial to learn them. He then thought that had anyone told him all these before his third year, he wouldn't have wasted his time with Divination. He could now keep blocking Bella's stunners for a long time. Even if he hadn't managed to get past her shields yet, she had told him that he had improved a lot. He was no Albus Dumbledore but still he was a good Occlumens now. She had taught him many advanced shield spells and he learned to cast the basic shield charm as a part of his assignment. He was also a good duelist now. He had improved well in wand less magic too and could cast many of the fourth year spells and below without a wand. He used his new proficiency in wand less magic to trip Dudley and Vernon every now and then. He remembered how Dudley used to trip him and Vernon punished him instead of Dudley. As someone once said, revenge is a dish best served cold. Thus, after 10 days of Bella's classes, he felt quite confident of himself.

He shook his head off his thoughts and went downstairs to have breakfast. He saw that Dudley was having porridge while the others were having a proper English breakfast. Dursleys have realized after two days that Dudley only had problems with solid food and since then he had been having porridge or soup and stew at the most. Harry felt that whatever had happened was good for Dudley. He was more in shape now though he still had a long way to go before he gets to the appropriate weight. Harry finished breakfast quickly and went out. He went through the schedule he had made from constant observation and realized that it was Nymphadora's shift. He walked quickly towards the park. When he was close to it, he suddenly stopped. He mentally scanned the area and realized she was right behind him. He mentally recorded her current position and positioned his hand in the appropriate direction discretely. He started walking again and suddenly cast the Tripping Jinx. He heard the sound of someone falling and saying some words that a lady should never be caught saying. He stopped and inwardly smirked at his success. It was the first time he was trying it on a magical person and he had succeeded. He knew that had it been anyone who was not so clumsy, they would have had suspicions. He used his Legilimency again.

'Harry, keep walking. No one is here.'

Harry was surprised. He had successfully read the mind of an Auror. He didn't know whether it was because he was a natural at Mind Arts like Bella had told him or because the Aurors were as incompetent as Bella had claimed to be. He walked to the place he knew her to be and pulled off the cloak.

He pointed his wand at her and said in a commanding voice, "Prove that you are who you claim to be."

She instantly changed her hair color from violet to bubblegum pink and said, "Wotcher Harry!"

"I should have known it was you by the way you tripped over your own feet.", Harry said with a smirk.

"Don't you dare laugh at me, Harry Potter. It is not my fault that I am a klutz.", she said in mock anger.

Harry looked at her. She was a short, pixie like girl who was good looking enough to turn heads. She neither had the ethereal, angelic beauty of Narcissa nor the wild, enticing beauty of Bellatrix. Without the tall, willowy frame associated with the Black family, she was a unique entity in itself.

He held out his hand and said, "Miss Tonks, would you accompany me to the park? I want everyone there to be jealous of me."

Tonks looked at him with a raised eyebrow and said, "Quite the charmer, aren't you?"

She tapped her finger on her chin in a thinking posture for a moment and then kept her hand in his and let him lead her into the park. He led her towards an unoccupied bench and they sat on it.

"How are you handling everything?", Harry asked her.

She lost her cheerful façade and sighed.

"I am fine, Harry", she said looking anything but fine.

"I have said that so many times that it has become repetitive. You should start using a different lie.", he said.

"Harry, I am really fine.", she said trying to convince him.

"If you are really fine, my name is Lord Voldemort.", he said causing her to flinch.

"You just said his name.", she said looking shocked.

"Yes and I am still alive. It is just a name, a childish one too. I don't understand why everyone is scared of it.", Harry said.

Harry took his wand out and wrote 'I AM LORD VOLDEMORT' in air. He tapped it twice and the words reordered to form 'TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE'.

"If you are so scared of the name Voldemort", pausing for her to flinch again and continued, "refer to him as Tom. Tom Marvolo Riddle is his real name. He is a half-blood who is named after his muggle father. Our blood is purer than his."

"Why do the purebloods follow him then?", she asked confusion showing in her face.

"Tonks, you are not really that naïve, are you? It is not about blood purity at all. It is about power. The blood purity is just a slogan made to fool the young purebloods into joining him and killing indiscriminately for him. Anyway, what is happening at the Ministry?", he said clearing the writing he made.

"Well, you would be happy to know that Fudge is not the minister anymore. He has been replaced by Scrimgeour who was the Head Auror until then.", she said.

"How do you think he will be as a Minister? Will he be as bad as Fudge or worse?", Harry asked her.

She shrugged her shoulders and said, "I don't know, Harry. He was good as a Head Auror. We will just have to wait and see how he does as a Minister."

He took her hand in his and said, "Alright, Nymphadora Tonks, I want you to listen to me. After Sirius' death, you and Remus are the only family I have left. I consider you as a family at least but I don't know about you. If you both don't talk to me and leave me alone, what will become of me? Am I doomed to always remain lonely and uncared for?"

He put up a sad, dejected face and then looked down. He saw from the corner of his eyes that she was feeling guilty.

"Harry, I do consider you as part of my family. I want you to always remember that. We all miss Sirius. But it is not just that. After Sirius' death, Remus had withdrawn into himself and doesn't talk to anyone anymore.", she said sighing.

Harry hid a smirk at being successful in implementing emotional blackmail, as Bella liked to call it. He looked at her eyes and did a mild scan. He was surprised by what he had found. Apparently, Tonks had feelings for Lupin which he returned. They have been hiding their feelings towards each other for some time.

"I want you to remember one thing, Tonks. We, males, have huge egos. We believe, at least subconsciously, that all the emotional display and talking out feelings are women thing and we consider ourselves above all that pettiness. So, when a woman asks us to talk, it means lowering ourselves to their level which we consider as a big humiliation. If you want to get him to talk, you should use subtle techniques. One of the time tested methods is ego feeding. If you want more detailed advice, you should ask your mother. These are all part of the mother-daughter talk after all.", Harry said.

Tonks looked awestruck and asked him, "When did you get so mature and intelligent?"

"It comes with being Harry Potter.", he said smirking causing her to roll her eyes.

"My shift will be over in a few minutes. I might as well escort you to your home.", she said.

"Talking about home, when are you going to invite me to your home? We are family, after all.", he asked.

"I will talk with my parents and then we will invite you home some day.", she said.

They talked a little more until they reached home. He plucked a daisy from Aunt Petunia's garden and gave her.

"A beautiful flower for a very beautiful girl.", he said.

She accepted it with a slight blush covering her cheeks and said, "Thank you, Harry. I guess I will get going."

She apparated off with a pop and he heard another pop signaling the arrival of the next guard. He went in quickly to start preparing for that day's class.

* * *

Harry was standing in his room waiting for Bella to come. He had seen Mundungus arrive some time ago. He had been doing a _Homenum Revelio _every now and then as he didn't want to get caught off guard. He saw the door opening and saw her walking in. Apparently, she had decided to do away with the sneak attacks that day.

"You have been as paranoid as Moody recently if not more. So, I decided to cut you some slack.", Bella said smiling.

He pointed his wand at her and said, "Prove that you are who you appear to be."

"Well, it is an eight letter word starting with N and ending with A having two S and one R-"

"That is enough. I understood.", he said quickly causing her to smirk.

He walked up to her and gave her a peck on each cheek as Black family tradition dictated and a special extra hug.

"Did you do all your assignments?", she asked.

"Yes, everything. Your niece had guard duty today morning. I tracked her movements using Legilimency and then wandlessly tripped her. I used emotional blackmail to extract information from her and also managed to read her thoughts.", he said.

"What information did you manage to extract?", she asked.

"What do I get by telling you?", he asked in return.

She gave him a proud smile and said, "I am happy to see that you have learned well. So, tell me what would you like in return? Will teaching you a few extra Dark Arts spells suffice?"

"I will think about it and tell you later.", he replied.

She shook her with an amused smile on her face and said, "I really am going to miss the naïve Harry who used to tell me everything the moment I ask him about it."

He smirked and said, "I will tell you in detail if you answer a question I ask in similar detail."

"I have a bad feeling about this but still I have promised in the beginning that I will honestly answer all of your questions unless I feel that it is better for you to not know. So, spill.", she said.

"Well, your niece and Remus have feelings for the other but are hiding them and tiptoeing around each other. She said that Sirius' death had made Remus more distant and withdrawn.", he said.

He looked at her to see her stone faced.

On sensing his gaze, she shook her head and said, "I was just wondering about the effect it will have on us when they start going out together. Anyway, what were you going to ask me?"

"I want to know what Voldemort is planning now?", he asked.

She sat down on his bed and covered her face with her hands. She then took her hands off her face and gave him a tired smile. He could see the stress of her spy job on her face and almost regretted asking the question.

"I somehow knew that you would be asking that question. Both of you seem to have an unhealthy obsession with the other.", she said.

After a moment of pause, she continued, "You should be happy, in an odd sort of way. He has either forgotten you or deemed you not worthy of his attention. For the first time in your life, you are not a part of his plan. Do you remember the diary you destroyed in your 2nd year?"

She saw him nodding and continued, "The dark lord was displeased to learn that Lucius had thrown away his diary for his personal gain. The failure at the Ministry had made the dark lord furious. As Lucius was in Azkaban, he chose to punish Draco for his father's mistakes. So, the dark lord initiated Draco into the Inner Circle and gave him a mission that he knows Draco cannot accomplish. He is hoping that Draco will either die trying or live to be punished for his failure. I can't tell you what the mission is for obvious reasons. Harry, I know that you both have some kind of rivalry between you but I want you to remember that unlike you he had been having a sheltered and luxurious life till now. He hasn't realized yet what kind of trouble he has gotten himself into. He will realize soon enough but I fear that it will be too late by then. If anything untoward happens, will you protect him and keep him safe?"

Harry inwardly grimaced. The last thing he wanted was to babysit an arrogant prat, correction, an arrogant Death Eater prat but he remembered that it is the first time Bella was asking him for a personal favor.

He sighed and said, "I will do what I can."

He felt that seeing the relief and happiness on her face was well worth the little inconvenience.

"That is enough for me. Is there anything else you wanted to ask me before we start the dueling class?"

He gave her the letter he received from Dumbledore that day. She read the letter and her face turned grim.

"So, this will be our last class. Pity, I was really enjoying the time I spend with you. It was the only time in which I could be myself. I will miss these classes.", she said bitterly.

"Me too. No one else had cared enough to sit and tell me everything.", he replied.

"Don't worry. I know where he will be taking you. Sirius had written in his will that should he die before you come of age, Andromeda Tonks will succeed him as your magical guardian. He also explicitly stated that after the 'Dursley requirement' is over you are to live with them for the rest of the summer unless you decide otherwise. We can still keep in touch with each other using the mirror. Let's go to the basement now. Considering that this is our last class, we should make the most of it.", she said.

They quickly went to the basement where they had created a Dueling Ring.

"As this is our last class, we are going to revise everything you have learned until now."

She conjured a target dummy and said, "Arrow spell"

He flicked his wand and thought, 'Sagitto exeonero'

Suddenly, the dummy was bombarded with many arrows.

"Poison tipped arrows"

'Sagitto exeonero inficio'

Many arrows with lime green head erupted from his wand and hit the dummy. She vanished the dummy and conjured a new one.

"Silver arrows"

'Sagitto exeonero caneo'

Many silver tipped arrows hit the dummy.

"Fire tipped arrows"

'Sagitto exeonero inflammo'

Many fire tipped arrows crashed into the dummy and it burst into fire. She vanished the burning dummy.

"Now I want you to conjure a dummy that looks exactly like the dark lord."

He imagined Voldemort in his head and did the exact wand motions Bella did whenever she conjured a dummy. Soon, a dummy, that looked a lot like Voldemort, appeared.

"You have got the height more or less right. The eyes are perfect shade of red but the shape is wrong. The dummy has no nose at all.", she said.

She then put her thumb finger on his nose and pushed it down until the tip of his nose touched his face.

"That is how the dark lord's nose looks like.", she said.

"You did not have to do that, you know. It is painful.", he said while rubbing his nose in pain.

"The tales of my sadism are an exaggeration at most but never a lie, Potter", she drawled causing him to roll his eyes.

"Now, I want you to burn down the dark lord, I mean the dummy.", she said.

Harry flicked his wand and thought, 'Flammasectum'

Soon enough, only ashes were left of what was once a dark lord look alike. Bella mused that for someone who used to equate Dark Arts with evil, he has quite the flair for Dark Arts. He did the curse as if the curse had been made for him.

She then conjured a cat and said, "Let's see how good you are at torture."

He pointed his wand at the cat and thought, 'repans ignis'

The cat cried out in pain and soon its skin turned red. He cast the Cooling charm on it and let it rest for a moment.

"Crucio"

The cat was shrieking due to the pain. He twirled his wand slightly increasing its pain.

"Harry, kill it."

"Avada Kedavra"

The green light hit the cat killing it instantly. She looked at the sight of the dead cat and inwardly smirked. She had always hated McGonagall from her childhood. Seeing the cat tortured to death gave her a special pleasure. Harry was initially averse to torturing anything other than a rat. It was only after her convincing that as they are conjured, they don't actually exist and any pain they show is just an illusion, that he started practicing on them. She vanished the cat and thought about the next spell.

She took out an expensive glass she had 'borrowed' from the muggle woman's collection and kept it on the ground. A look of recognition came on Harry's features and he nodded.

He did the wand movements she had taught him carefully and thought, 'Carpe retractum'

Two hands made of smoke came out of his wand and gripped the glass with appropriate amount of pressure. The hands picked up the glass and withdrew slowly. Suddenly, the hands vanished and the glass was in his left hand as if he had been holding it all along.

She gave him a nod of acknowledgement and poured little water on the ground using her wand. He understood what she was asking for. She had thought him a spell that could control fiendfyre if it hadn't already gone too out of control. When he asked her why he would play around with something like fiendfyre, her reply was to learn it just in case.

He pointed his wand at the small puddle of water and said, "Aqua Eructo"

The water started rising and soon there was a huge snake made entirely of water in front of them. He released the spell and the snake sunk back into the water.

"Good work, Harry. Now, block this", she said while sending a set of conjured glass pieces towards him.

He did the required complicated wand motions and conjured what she had called Degeneris Shield.

The glass pieces degenerated on crossing the shield. He then pointed his wand at her and thought, 'Pulsus'

A blue light shot from his wand and went towards her. She did a series of complicated wand movements and conjured what she had called Aegis shield. Her shield had the Black family emblem on its front. The spell hit the shield and dissipated silently. He realized that his spell was nowhere near as powerful as Dumbledore's. When Dumbledore had cast the spell in the Ministry, it had made a deep gong sound when it hit Voldemort's shield before dissipating.

She suddenly threw the same spell back at him.

He did the same complicated wand movements and thought, 'Aegis'

A silver shield came up in front of him. The spell hit the shield causing it to vibrate thus producing a lot of noise. He staggered back a few steps due to the power of the spell. He really needed to practice the shield more.

The sonic spell, as he had called it, was like the Cruciatus. Its incantation was easy and had no wand movements. The high requirement of magical strength to power the spell is the only thing that limits the spell to powerful wizards. The Aegis shield is a different thing entirely. Even though the incantation is easy, the complicated wand movements and the high requirement of magical power to conjure and maintain the shield made it a difficult spell to cast.

"Now, I want you to cast the Dirigible shield.", she said.

Harry did the same wand movements as for the Protego shield and thought, 'Protego Dirigible'

Bella started parading the shield with stunners. The shield started growing red with every stunner until the shield blasted and all the accumulated energy of stunners rushed towards her. She, having anticipated it, dodged it right in time. The wall she was standing in front of was blasted away. Bella repaired it with a bare flick of her wand.

"You can take a rest for two minutes.", she said causing him to let out a sigh.

Casting powerful spells nonverbally had made him tired. He wondered how Dumbledore and Voldemort managed it. After a few minutes, he got ready again.

She then conjured a dummy and said, "Snape's slashing spell"

Harry pointed his wand at the dummy and made a downward slashing motion while thinking, 'Sectumsempra'

Soon, the dummy was cut into many pieces and crumbled. She cleared the mess and conjured a rat.

"Blindness spell"

He pointed his wand at the rat and thought, 'Rapidus caecitas'

Soon, blackness formed on and around its eyes.

"The counter curse."

'Dono adspectus'

The blackness vanished and the rat looked around. She vanished it before it could start running.

She then conjured a book which she kept on the ground and said, "I want to see how good you have become in wand less magic."

Harry lifted the book from the ground and banished it towards her silently. She waved her hand and vanished the book.

Harry thought, 'Orchideous'

A bunch of flowers appeared in his hand which he extended to Bellatrix. She wandlessly and nonverbally conjured a vase and filled it with water. She then summoned the flower and kept it in the vase.

"Thank you for your gift, Harry. But, I will have to keep it here as it is improper for a ruthless, coldhearted Death Eater like me to be seen with a vase of flowers. It is bad for my reputation.", Bella said winking at him causing him to smirk.

She then conjured a dummy and told him, "Show me your Fire Whip curse"

Harry slashed his wand downwards and a fiery red hot whip came out. He whipped the dummy many times and then cancelled the spell.

"Bone Breaker curse"

He gave a quick swish and flick. A yellow light erupted from his wand and hit the dummy in the chest. The chest area exploded outwards. He cringed. He didn't want to know how it would look on a human. Bella cleared the mess and conjured a cat.

"Use the Organ Crusher curse on the cat.", she said.

He cast the same spell that Dolohov had used on Hermione on the cat.

"Now, use the counter curse and save the kitty. If the cat lives, you are successful.", she said.

He quickly cast the counter curse on the cat. The cat's breaths evened out indicating his success.

"Good job. I want you to hide now. Let's see how good you are at subterfuge", she said.

He tapped his head and thought, 'Disaparecio'

He felt chill rushing from his head to toe. He had just done the Disillusionment Charm.

He then tapped his face and thought, 'Quietus' silencing his breathing.

He similarly silenced his robes and boots. Bella had told him that one of the biggest mistakes Aurors usually make is forgetting that even when they are invisible, others can still hear them. She told him that when a person walks, there are four types of noises that are made. The first is the noise made by the boots when it hits the ground. The second is made by the rustling of robes. The third noise is that of their breathing which can be heard clearly in a quiet environment and the last type is made by an object when any part of their body collides with it. You can take care of the first three by silencing the appropriate places while for the last one, you have to look where you are going. Her other instruction was to keep away from creatures or half-breeds with powerful sense of smell while he was invisible unless he knew how to find the wind direction and mask his scent accordingly.

He suddenly dodged a Stinging Hex that came his way.

"I know where you are. Remove your Disillusionment charm.", she said.

He tapped his head and thought, 'Aparecio'

He felt warmth rushing from his head to toe and knew that he was visible now.

"You have learned well. Now, use your glamour charms."

He tapped his head with his wand and changed it into many different colors before returning to his original color. He then closed his eyes and tapped on the eye lids to change into another color. Thus, he changed his eye color many times before returning to the original. She nodded in acknowledgement.

"Now, we will rest for some time and then we will duel.", she said.

Harry sighed. He wondered how she became a military dictator so quickly after two days of baby glove approach.

"Rest time is over. Now it is time for our duel.", she said.

Harry groaned. He wondered whether he should tell her that it was not his fault that it was their last class but then decided to keep his mouth shut due to safety concerns.

They bowed to each other and turned around. They walked forty paces and then turned back facing each other. They got into their dueling stances and started analyzing the other for weaknesses. Bella started with a Disarmer spell which he blocked. He sent a stunner which he parried. They circled each other looking intently for a weakness in the other's defense. Harry then sent a Bludgeoning Hex which she dodged to find herself in the path of a Bat Bogey Hex. She batted it away like a fly and sent a stunner at him and a sonic spell to the direction she knew that he will dodge. He dodged the stunner and conjured the Aegis shield. The strength of the spell caused him to stagger slightly. She used the distraction to cast a Numbing Charm on his legs causing him to fall down. She was surprised and impressed to see that he was still holding his wand tightly. He tried to support himself on one hand and attack but found his wand slipping away from his fingers despite his best efforts to hold on to it. He realized that she had used the Jelly Fingers hex on him. He could do nothing as the wand slipped away from his hands and flew over to her hand. She cancelled her spells and returned his wand to him.

"I am impressed by the fact that you still held on to your wand tightly after you fell down. If a similar situation happens in the future, keep your wand out of the line of vision of the opponents. They will just assume that you have lost your wand and then you can attack them after they have let their guard down. Also, remember that in real duels, you can use your proficiency in wand less magic to your advantage. Another thing you should remember is to not rely on your wand all the time. Keep an alternate weapon with you hidden from outside and easy for you to pull out in case you lose your wand. The alternate weapon can be anything from a second wand to a cursed dagger. Never tell anyone else that you have an alternate weapon let alone what and where is it.", she said.

He nodded in agreement. She checked the time to see that two hours have lapsed. So, they returned to Harry's room.

* * *

"We have two hours to pass. What are we going to do?", Harry asked.

Bella looked outside through the window and said, "I had expected us to have at least eight more classes. I had planned to teach you more about runes and warding. The wards around the house would have been a good practice material. After learning Arithmancy, you would have been able to create your own spells. Hell, I had even planned to bring a professional here to teach you the art of seduction and pleasuring a woman. It is done in many pureblood families when the heir turns 16. I guess I would have to do it myself now."

Harry opened his mouth in shock.

'She didn't actually say that. I was just hearing things', he thought.

"Bella, you didn't just say-"

"-that I would teach you how to have sex with a woman and have her craving for more? I did. Don't worry. Even if I have never slept with anyone since before you were born, I know what I am doing. I promise you that it will be the best time of your life. As you don't have a girlfriend now, I do know that you are not saving it for anyone.", she sighed, then turned around to face him and continued, "Harry, even if you have become a confident person recently, you will go back to that shy, insecure boy I remember from my first visit here whenever the topic of romance or sex comes up. As I have already said, you are quite popular now. There will be many girls competing with each other for you. I know that you will reject all of their advances because of your fear that you will not be good enough. Teenage is a time that comes only once in your lifetime and will not return however you wish for it to. Trust me. I have tried it. So, it is imperative that you should enjoy it. You should have late night parties, get drunk and have wild sex and repeat the cycle. You shouldn't let some dark lord or your own insecurities put a hamper on it. Tell me, Harry, will you be more comfortable in giving your first time to a girl who knows nothing about you other than your fame or a woman, who you can trust, who knows your insecurities well and also knows how to boost your self confidence?"

She wasn't entirely unselfish in her motives even though Harry was always her first priority. As she had said, it had been sixteen years for her. She did not know whether it was due to her privileged upbringing or due to her being the eldest of her generation that she would take what she wanted at any cost. She was a very competitive woman and was not ready to bear the humiliation of a girl one-third her age getting what she didn't. The knowledge that other witches would be getting only the pittance she leaves for them gave her a sense of superiority over the lesser mortals. When he defeats the dark lord, he would be the most powerful and influential wizard in England and having taken his first time will be quite an achievement for her. She shook her head off her thoughts and looked at him for his reply.

She saw him scrunching his face in thought for a moment and said, "I agree. You are right. I shouldn't let my insecurities control my life."

She smirked and then sauntered towards him shaking her hips for the proper effect. She then bend forward giving him a good view and then kissed him full on the lips.

* * *

ChronoskenS : I have decided to follow your advice.

DarkPirateKing69 : For your information, Bellatrix is in her mid forties. I personally agree with you. I had started on many Harry/Bella stories, one with Bella travelling forward in time, another with her going back, one in which she blood adopts Harry and one with supernatural entities. As far as reviews per page is concerned, this is the most popular of my stories. I only took this up because I loved a challenge. I purposefully avoided the cliches.

Guest : The primary goal of Sirius' plan was to give Albus a wake up call. Considering the fact that his advices and suggestions haven't worked, Sirius decided that a stronger measure was necessary. It has also resulted in Harry realizing that Dumbledore is not an all knowing god. He did what he felt was the best for everyone. Sirius seems a little fucked up in the head and I had intended it to be that way. Both Sirius and Bella had spent a good part of their life in Azkaban after all. Also, Bella knew Sirius enough to know that when he makes a decision, no one can change his mind. She is also magically bound to obey him.

About the last part, Harry and Bella still have a mentor-student relationship. They wouldn't get serious until much later in the story. This is them just relishing what could possibly be the last time they meet each other. As Bella had already said, it had been very long for her and Harry needed to have his insecurities completely rooted out. Next chapter will have Harry's thoughts about the matter. Anyone who didn't like that part or felt that it came too early can just skip it. The only effect it has on the story is Harry becoming more confident and more free around girls. You wouldn't be seeing a short tempered Harry as he now has a new outlet for his frustrations.

The next chapter will be much more interesting. The plot is thickening. Soon, you will see an independent powerful Harry taking over the reins of the wizarding world.

I would appreciate all reviews and suggestions as they inspire me to update faster.


	5. An Almost Cunning Potions Master

**Disclaimer :**I do not own Harry Potter though I wish I owned Bellatrix Lestrange.

* * *

' ' – Thoughts

" " – Speaking in English

" " – _Speaking in Parseltongue / Memory_

* * *

**S/N : **This begins at the end of Harry Potter's 5th year.

* * *

**Sirius Black's Gambit**

**5 : An Almost Cunning Potions Master**

Harry had finished packing and was waiting for Dumbledore. It was the day in which Dumbledore had said that he would personally come to retrieve him. He mused that Dumbledore would be expecting a sad, dejected, moping Harry Potter.

'That Harry Potter fell through the Veil with Sirius.'

He thought about his last class with Bellatrix. She had wanted to teach him Ancient Runes and Arithmancy but didn't have the time. He would have to learn those subjects on his own. But she had thought him something else. An unbidden smirk came to his face when he remembered it. In spite of what she had said, he knew that she had her own selfish motives but he didn't really care. He knew that he could be naïve and oblivious but she had taught him well, a little too well. She was telling the truth but not the complete truth. The fact that he had pinned the most dangerous witch in England against the wall and screwed her senseless gave him a new confidence that he never remembered having ever in his life. When he had agreed to her proposal, he tried to sound bored and nonchalant, but he knew that his excitement and nervousness had leaked into his voice the moment he saw her smug smirk. He knew now for sure that he will never feel nervous around a girl anymore. They did things together that he never even knew was possible before. He still wondered from where he got all the stamina for it. They did it five times and would have gone for more if they had had more time. He could still feel the many scratches and bite marks she had given him all over the body as she had a thing for violent sex. She was embarrassed afterwards and offered to heal them but he refused saying that he wanted to keep them as a souvenir. He was shaken from his thoughts when he saw a light at the end extinguish itself. Then, he saw the lights extinguishing themselves one at a time. Dumbledore had finally arrived.

He heard a knock and he went downstairs with his trunk and his cage. He saw that all of his relatives were sitting on the opposite sofa. He kept his luggage on the floor and opened the door for Dumbledore. He came inside the house and sat on the sofa indicating Harry to sit beside him.

"Petunia, would you get us a cup of tea each?", Albus Dumbledore asked.

None of them moved even an inch.

"Never mind.", Dumbledore said unperturbed.

Dumbledore conjured five cups and filled each with Rosmerta's mead. He took one and offered another to Harry.

"Rosmerta has a special skill in making meads. You are welcome to taste it.", he told the Dursleys.

None of them showed any interest in tasting them but Dumbledore levitated the cup to them nevertheless. The cups hit them in the face frequently urging them to take them. Dumbledore seemed to be taking some guilty pleasure in tormenting the muggles. He got bored after some time and kept the cups on the table.

"There are some important matters I would like to speak with you. Fifteen years ago, I had placed a baby under your care who has eventually grown up into the charming young man sitting beside me. I had hoped that you would be able to set aside your differences with Lily and give young Harry a loving home and a happy childhood but it had never happened. There is no use talking about the past now. I only ask that you allow Harry to come here for one more summer. I hope none of you will have a problem with that.", Dumbledore said.

Even though it was said politely, none of them had the courage to object.

"Considering that none of you have any objections, it is decided. Now, I have to speak with Harry privately. So, if you don't mind.", Dumbledore said in a polite but firm tone.

It was a clear dismissal. None of the muggles were foolish enough to disobey. They scurried off at the first chance they got.

Dumbledore put up some privacy wards around them before he started speaking.

"The matter I have to discuss with you is concerning Sirius' will. In his will, he had stated you as his heir. So, I believe that you are the new head of the house Black and have inherited his fortunes."

Dumbledore paused and looked at him for his reaction but he gave him none.

Dumbledore continued, "But, there is a problem. As you are not a Black by birth, there is a chance of the will being rendered invalid. In that case, the headship will go to the next male related by blood, Draco Malfoy. I am sure you can understand now why we need to confirm that you are the new head of the Black family."

Harry nodded in agreement and said, "Is there any foolproof way to confirm that?"

He had already known from Bellatrix that he was the head of the Black family but Dumbledore doesn't need to know that.

"Yes. If you have inherited the Black family fortunes, you would also have inherited the family elf Kreacher. Summon him. If he comes, you are the new head of house Black."

"Kreacher"

A pop announced the arrival of the old elf. He seemed confused and was looking around wondering how he got there. Harry didn't know whether Kreacher was included in Sirius' plan. Bellatrix had never told him that and he had forgotten to ask her.

"Kreacher, I am the new head of the house Black and your new master. You came here because I called you here.", he said.

The elf looked horrified and started blabbering many things. Harry didn't know whether it was his normal behavior or whether he was following Sirius' orders to keep Dumbledore out of the loop. He decided to return the sentiment.

"Shut up", he said coldly.

The elf kept its hand over its mouth to keep it shut.

"It looks like Sirius knew what he was doing after all. Do you want to keep him?", Dumbledore asked.

"I will be keeping him. He knows too many secrets. He could be useful. You can leave now, Kreacher.", Harry replied.

Kreacher left with a pop sound.

"A wise choice, Harry. What do you intend to do with No.12, Grimmauld Place?", Dumbledore asked.

"I thought it was the Order headquarters.", Harry said.

"We shifted the headquarters to the Burrow because we were not sure who inherited the house."

"Would it have mattered if Draco Malfoy had inherited it? The house was under Fidelius charm."

Harry had an idea of what would have happened but he wanted to confirm it.

"We can only cast Fidelius charm on a house if the owner permits it. If Draco Malfoy had become the owner and he didn't want the house under Fidelius, the charm would have broken down exposing our headquarters.", Dumbledore said confirming Harry's assumptions.

"I will keep it. It could be useful sometime in future.", Harry replied.

"There was another curious thing. Sirius wanted Andromeda Tonks to succeed him as your magical guardian. Do you know her?", Dumbledore asked looking at him.

"Sirius told me that she was his favorite cousin. So, it was not a complete surprise."

Dumbledore nodded in agreement.

Dumbledore cancelled the privacy charms and said, "Are you ready to go, Harry?"

"Yes, Professor Dumbledore.", Harry said bending down to take the luggage.

"Don't worry about your luggage, Harry. I have arranged for someone to deal with it."

They went outside and Harry waited for Dumbledore to say something.

"Harry, have you apparated before?", Dumbledore asked.

Harry shook his head. Bella had made plans to teach him but they had never had the time.

"Then hold on to my hand. It will be an odd sensation but you will get used to it with time.", Dumbledore said.

* * *

Harry held on to Dumbledore's hand. He suddenly felt a pull at his navel and felt like he was being squeezed through a tube. He instantly closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes, he was in a quaint muggle neighborhood he did not recognize. Dumbledore started walking in one direction and Harry quickened his pace to keep up with Dumbledore's. He had a feeling that they were nowhere near Tonks Residence or whatever their house was called.

"Professor, where are we going exactly?", Harry asked.

Dumbledore looked at Harry astonished as if he just remembered Harry was with him.

He then gave a smile and said, "We are in a small town called Budleigh Babberton. As usual, we once again find ourselves short of a member of staff. So, we are going to visit an old friend of mine and persuade him to come out of his retirement. I also want you to remember that should anything happen you have my permission to use magic to protect yourself and me."

Harry had a puzzled look on his face for a moment and then he realized. With Bella's wards, he was so used to doing magic that he had forgotten that he was not allowed to do magic outside school.

"Harry, did you have any of those dreams during the summer?", Dumbledore asked.

"No, professor. I believe that I have finally gotten the grasp of Occlumency.", Harry replied.

Dumbledore had a look of surprise on his face before he nodded in acceptance.

They stopped outside a house and knocked on the door. Hearing no one, Dumbledore quickly unlocked the door and entered letting him follow. The scene that awaited him was something he was not prepared for. There was a lot of blood on the wall, the chairs and tables were overturned and many were broken. The house was in utter mess.

"Professor, it looks like your old friend was either killed or captured.", Harry said.

'**looks like **being the keyword.', Harry thought to himself. The recent events had taught him not to believe everything he sees.

Dumbledore seemed to have not heard it as he was looking around for something. Harry looked around for some clue that it was all staged. He knew that if he could confirm any of the evidence as false, he would know for sure that the person was still alive. He cautiously moved towards the wall and looked at the blood properly. He realized that the blood was too thick and dense to be human blood. He kept his wand ready in case something happened.

He saw Dumbledore approaching an overturned chair. He went behind the chair and pulled someone by their ear.

"Don't do that again, Albus. It is painful.", the man said rubbing his ears.

Harry looked at the man properly. He was a short, walrus-like man whose stomach was bulging so much that the buttons of his coat were straining to hold themselves together.

"Horace, it has been so long since I last saw you. Where have you been all these years?", Dumbledore asked.

Harry couldn't help but feel that he had heard that name before. He chose to store that bit of information to analyze later.

"I was in hiding. I have been changing locations every week to keep them guessing. Death Eaters have been trying to recruit me for a long time but I kept giving them the slip.", Horace said.

"Would you mind if I help you to clean this up?", Dumbledore asked.

"Of course not."

They both took out their wands and waved them in a synchronized movement. The chairs and tables that had been overturned were righted and the broken furniture repaired itself. Everything returned to normal except the blood on the walls.

"You came so suddenly that I didn't know what to do. So, on an impulse, I used the last supply of dragon blood I had. It was very costly and difficult to get. May be I can save some.", Horace said and started to siphon off the blood from the walls into a vial.

After the last of the blood was siphoned off, they sat down at a table. Harry didn't fail to notice that Dumbledore had everyone sit in such a way that his friend can have a good look at him. Harry hid a smirk as he now knew exactly what his purpose was.

"Albus, I know well why you came here and my answer is no. You can't change my mind about that.", Horace said stubbornly.

Dumbledore sighed and said, "I had come to offer you a position among my staff but I can see that your mind is set. Before we leave, do you have a bathroom here?"

"Yes, just go through the door on my left and you will find the bathroom at the end of the hallway.", Horace said.

Dumbledore quickly went to the bathroom leaving them alone in the room.

"I know why Albus brought you here and it is not going to work.", Horace said.

Harry put up as much innocence as he could muster onto his face and said, "I don't understand what you are talking about."

"It doesn't matter anyway. I believe we haven't met before. I am Horace Slughorn.", he said extending his hand.

Harry shook it saying, "I am Harry Potter. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Slughorn."

Harry now realized why the name sounded so familiar. He was the Potions Master and the head of the Slytherin house when Bella was at Hogwarts. He thought about everything she had told him about Horace Slughorn. According to her, he was the most influential wizard in England after Albus Dumbledore and Lord Voldemort. She had described him as a social ladder. She had told him that he uses his influence to help the students he personally chooses based on their potential or their relation to an important person to their desired careers who returns the favor by funding his rather lavish life and helping him place the next batch of well chosen students to their desired careers. He had even named the group of well chosen students as Slug Club. Due to the influence he has, he could be a valuable ally or a dangerous enemy. He went through everything Bella had told him about the man in front of him and remembered her telling him that he liked being praised and pampered. He looked around the room and saw a lot of photos stuck on the wall.

"I see that you have noticed the photos. They were all members of the Slug Club. Come on, I will show you.", Slughorn said getting up.

Harry got up and went with him. He saw that the photos were all magical. He recognized many of them. Slughorn started explaining each one of them to him.

"This is Gwenog Jones. She is the captain of the Holyhead Harpies team now. She was one of the most promising members of the Slug Club.", Slughorn said.

"I have heard about her. Her niece Megan Jones is in our year.", Harry replied.

Even though Harry had said it nonchalantly, he was subtly placing baits. He wondered whether Dumbledore, who he was sure was listening in, would recognize the tactic. The slight glint that Harry saw in Slughorn's eyes told him that he was successful. Slughorn then showed him many more photos and went into great detail about each of them. Harry filed away all the information in his head knowing that it will be very useful later.

"Mr. Slughorn, forgive my curiosity but how do they keep in contact with you and send you gifts if you are in hiding. After all, if someone of your skill level and experience decides to go into hiding, it is nearly impossible to find them.", Harry said.

He seemed sad at first and then perked up a little at the complement.

"The thing is, It has been an year since I got any gift.", he said with a dejected face.

"Then why don't you come to Hogwarts. With Dumbledore as headmaster, it is the safest place in England right now. You will be safe there. Also, everyone will know where to send you letters and gifts. It will be a privilege to have you as our Professor.", Harry said.

Slughorn pursed his lips in thought and moved on to the next photo.

"Now, this is your mother, Lily Evans. She was one of my most favorite students. She was the top student in her year and had a special gift for Potions. It was a surprise considering that she was muggleborn.", Slughorn said.

He looked at his mother's photo. She was waving at him with a smile on her face. He, with some effort, still kept up his bored façade. He reminded himself that the time for crying over what he never had was over.

"My best friend Hermione Granger is also a muggleborn. But, she has overcome the limitations associated with it and has been the top of the year since our first year."

He had a surprised look on his face replaced by a determined expression. Hermione definitely owed him one now.

Suddenly, Dumbledore came out of the bathroom.

"Horace, I apologize for taking a lot of your time but the muggle magazines I found were very interesting. It is obvious that you are not interested in the position. We wouldn't intrude on your privacy any longer. Come, Harry, let's go."

Harry quickly went with Dumbledore but just as they reached the door-

"Albus, I have changed my mind. I will be joining your staff if the offer is still on the table.", Slughorn said.

Dumbledore gave him a smile and said, "Then, I am happy to say that we will meet again at the beginning of the school year."

They went outside the house and started walking again.

"Professor, which house were you in when you were a student at Hogwarts?", Harry asked.

"The Sorting Hat was initially confused between Ravenclaw and Slytherin but ultimately my love for books won over.", Dumbledore replied.

"I feel bad for the Slytherin house. They lost a great wizard to Ravenclaw.", Harry said.

"Unfortunately, their bad luck did not stop there. They lost another great wizard to Gryffindor in recent years.", Dumbledore replied looking at him with an amused smile and a twinkle in his eyes.

Harry was initially not sure how to respond to this indirect complement. He relaxed his posture slightly and gave Dumbledore a small smile.

"Professor, if I may enquire, what happened to your right hand or is it something that is to be discussed in a more secure surrounding?", Harry asked.

"It is a long tale, Harry. We will discuss it later over a cup of tea. I wouldn't be doing it justice otherwise.", Dumbledore replied with a smile.

When they had reached the place they had started from, Dumbledore held out his left hand for Harry to take. Harry held on to his hand and they quickly apparated away.

* * *

They appeared in another muggle neighborhood. Dumbledore started walking in a specific direction and Harry followed. After walking for some time, they came across a house. The house was not as big as the Dursley's home, at least from outside, but it certainly felt more welcoming to him. They approached the house and Dumbledore knocked on the door. The door was opened by a middle aged man who he assumed to be Ted Tonks.

"Ted, Harry's luggage has arrived, I presume.", Dumbledore said.

"Yes, Albus, everything is ready for Harry's stay. Would you come in for a cup of tea?", Ted said with a smile.

"I would love to but it is already late and there is a lot more to be done. I will get going then.", Dumbledore said.

He then turned to Harry and said, "Harry, I would like to once again personally apologize for the events that occurred a few months before. I have decided to take personal responsibility for your education this year. So, we will meet again at school."

Harry gave a nod in return. He saw Dumbledore apparating away and wondered what was in store for him.

Harry then shook those thoughts off his head and went to greet his host.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Tonks. Thank you for inviting me to your lovely home. I apologize for any inconveniences that I have caused due to the time of my arrival.", Harry said.

Ted Tonks waved all apologies away and said with a carefree smile, "No need for any formalities here. Call me Ted."

"I will if you call me Harry.", Harry said returning a smile of his own.

Harry had only known Ted Tonks for a few minutes and he already liked him. He could see why Andromeda chose to abandon her family for him. Ted was a free spirited fun loving person which must have been a breath of fresh air for Andromeda who had hailed from an overbearing family. They entered the house to see Nymphadora standing with a woman who looked so much like Bellatrix that he gawked. He blushed due to the memories that face brought into his mind, memories which he had prefer hidden.

'Where are the damn Occlumency and the emotional mask when I need them the most?'

He took a few breaths and put an impassive face with some effort.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Tonks. I had to admit that I had expected Nymphadora's mother to look older and was surprised to see otherwise.", Harry said.

He went through every pureblood rule and etiquette he had managed to cram into his head. Bella had told him to limit himself to discrete compliments when meeting someone for the first time. She told him that open flattery would make them suspicious. He was sure that he had done the right thing as he saw her relax her posture. He inwardly bristled at the fact that Bella had not even given him a hint that Andromeda looked just like her. Harry decided that the next time he will see Bellatrix, she would be at the receiving end of all the Dark curses that she had taught him and helped him perfect though he admitted, just to himself, that it was quite a brilliant prank.

"Considering that you are going to live with us, I believe it is better for you to call me Andromeda.", Andromeda said with an impassive face.

He knew that unlike her husband, she was traditional, conservative and doesn't trust many people. So, he understood well the importance of this statement.

"I will if you insist. But, I will insist, in return, that you call me Harry.", he said with a small smile.

He then went over to Nymphadora Tonks making sure not to show any sign of relief. He had learned the hard way from his classes with Bella that if he made even a small mistake in front of any of the Black sisters, they will not only exploit it to its full potential but also hold it over you for the rest of your life.

"So, how are you doing, **Nymphadora?**", Harry asked emphasizing her name.

She threw a Stinging Hex at him which he casually sidestepped.

"Don't call me Nymphadora.", she said.

"Nymphadora, you are a big girl now. You should know better than to attack our guests.", Andromeda said.

She narrowed her eyes in anger though none present knew whether it was due to being called by her first name or due to being scolded like a child. Harry let a smug smirk appear on his face.

"Nymphadora, show Harry his room. It is late and I am sure he is very tired from the journey.", Andromeda said.

It was a dismissal for both of them and even Nymphadora who was incensed at being called her first name never dared argue.

* * *

Even though it was awkward at first to live with the people he hadn't met before, he adjusted quickly. Within two days, they were like a family to him. In Burrow, he had always felt like an outsider among the loud and boisterous family. Having grown up in a cupboard under the stairs, he had always felt overwhelmed by the crowds and Weasley family can be easily considered as one. He hadn't admitted it even to himself before because he didn't want to be ungrateful to the first family that had shown him love. But Tonks family, being small and quiet, felt more like a family to him than the Weasleys. Thinking about the Tonks family reminded of Bella, or to be more exact, the conversation they had the previous day.

_Harry had just unpacked the mirror and was now waiting for the courage to activate it. Last time he had tried to activate the twin mirror was after returning to school from the Ministry. He had said Sirius' name into it hoping that his godfather was still alive and would come up on the other side. He had been so angry when he saw no face come up in the mirror that he broke it. He no longer thought that Sirius' death was his fault but he still felt guilty that he had never tried to contact him when Sirius had given him a perfect way to do so. He sighed. He didn't know whether he could take it if her face didn't appear in the mirror. He took a few breaths and gathered every bit of Gryffindor courage that he had._

"_Bellatrix… Bellatrix Lestrange"_

_Luckily, the voice came out much stronger than he felt. Suddenly, Bellatrix's face appeared in the mirror._

"_Hello Harry, How are you doing?"_

_She then narrowed her eyes and said, "Tell me what the matter is."_

"_It is nothing.", he said._

"_Even with Occlumency, you are a bad liar. If I wasn't as good at reading people as I am, I would have left the world of living long time ago. So, spill.", she drawled._

"_Well, this mirror reminded me of the last time I used a similar mirror. Sirius had given it to me in a package which I opened only after I returned to the school from the Ministry. I had completely forgotten about it until I found it-"_

"_Let me guess. You feel guilty for not contacting him frequently and believe that if you had, he would have been happier.", she said._

_Harry nodded._

"_What exactly did he tell you when he gave you the package?", she asked._

"_He told me to contact him whenever Snape is too hard on me.", he replied._

"_Exactly. You didn't contact him fearing that he will come running to the castle and get caught. He said what he did because he feared that being a fugitive, he would be doing more harm than good by taking care of you. It is the communication gap that caused the problem. His experiences at Azkaban and your experiences with the muggles are the reason for it. So, neither of you are at fault. Past is past. You do have me now.", she said._

_Harry suddenly remembered the very reason he contacted her._

"_Why didn't you tell me that you and Andromeda were so similar in looks? I couldn't look at her without being reminded of … you know.", he said blushing in the end._

"_I don't know what you are talking about. Would you explain what exactly were you reminded of?", she said with a straight face._

"_I was reminded of us having sex.", he said with his cheeks flushing with anger._

"_For now, that is alright. But, you should learn to say that with a stoic face in the future. I didn't mention it for this very purpose. I wanted you to have a good inspiration to continue practicing Occlumency even after my visits stop. The best way for that to happen is to give you a secret to keep that you would want to protect at all costs. I certainly would like to see Andy's reaction when she sees the memory of you screwing me against the wall.", she said with a smirk._

_Even if Harry was furious, he was inwardly impressed at her cunning._

"_Tell me, Harry, how is Andy doing these days?", she asked._

"_For someone who just lost a family member, she is doing well.", he replied._

"_Has she started your lessons?", she asked._

"_No. We are only getting to know each other. I had only just arrived after all.", he replied._

_She sighed. He was right. They had only just gotten to know each other and it would take time for him to form a rapport with her. He had been a shy and insecure boy when she had first met him and she had done everything in her power to bring him out of his shell. She hoped that he was not going back to that. She knew that due to the emotional mask Andy was used to wearing due to her pureblood upbringing she would seem an intimidating person to the boy and hoped that he would be able to see past that façade after he spends some time with them. _

"_I had heard that you had some sort of a trial in front of the Wizengamot last year. What was it about?", she asked._

"_When I was returning home, two dementors came and attacked us. After several failed attempts, I finally produced a corporeal patronus and drove them away. It was at the right time as one of them was about to kiss my cousin. I initially got a letter from the Ministry saying that I was expelled and someone would come to snap my wand as I had violated the Under Age Magic Restriction Act and the International Statute of Secrecy. Few minutes later, I got another letter from Mr. Weasley telling me not to leave the house and that the problem had been taken care of. I got another letter telling me that I will have a trial in Madame Bone's office. Ten minutes before the trial, another letter was sent that the venue had been changed and I will be having the trial in front of the entire Wizengamot, a letter we never received. If Kingsley Shacklebolt hadn't reached us in time, we would have never known.", Harry said._

"_We can take comfort in the fact that we have shared another experience. Anyway, as you have already had an experience with Wizengamot, teaching you about it should be easier. Did you know that you had a vote in Wizengamot at the time of your trial?", Bellatrix asked him._

"_WHAT?", he said cringing at how loud it came out._

"_I would appreciate if you chose not to shout. I will leave the long history for Andromeda and will tell you the rest. The Wizengamot has three purposes : forming a government; as in voting a Minister in or out and approving budgets, passing laws and effectively being the judge and jury for crimes. The DMLEs Prosecution Service deals with minor crimes and misdemeanors like yours while the major crimes like mine go before the Wizengamot. There were fifty formal seats of which thirty are held by the original Ancient and Noble Houses who had been part of the Wizard's Council-"_

"_Wait! Sorry to interrupt but what is Wizard's council?", Harry asked._

"_Andy will tell you all the details when she explains the history. Wizard's Council was the governing body that existed before a formal Ministry of Magic was formed in 1700. It consisted of old and wealthy pureblood families of the time. The heads of those families will sit together and discuss all the issues. Potters, Longbottoms, Dumbledores, Blacks, Malfoys, Notts, Weasleys and many other families constituted the Wizard's Council. Wizengamot is basically these families and some additions. Only twenty two of the original thirty families remain in Wizengamot now as others were either sold or given away after line extinction. Another thirteen seats are held by the Order of Merlin First Class recipients, then five seats for the head of DMLE, the head of DOM and two other Ministry appointees and Chief Warlock will have a vote if it is a tie. Any questions on what I have covered?"_

"_You said that Weasley family was in the Wizard's Council. Does that mean they have a seat in Wizengamot too?", he asked._

"_Weasley family had a seat in Wizengamot once. They lost it as they tried to use it to cover their debts. Other families felt that the Weasley family insulted the Wizengamot. That is one of the many reasons the Weasley family is considered a disgrace among the pureblood society. The seats in the Wizengamot are not family heirlooms to be bought and sold for one's convenience. They are respectful positions in the society whose holders have the responsibility to shape the future of the wizarding world. Well, I will ask you questions to see how much you have grasped. Tell me how many seats you will have when you come of age?"_

"_Well, I think I will have two seats : Potter family and Black family.", Harry said._

"_Correct. Now, do you know how many votes Dumbledore has?", Bellatrix asked._

"_I don't know.", he said._

"_He has a vote each as the head of Dumbledore family and as the Order of Merlin recipient and a tiebreaker vote of the Chief Wizengamot. That is the influence he alone has. Remember that he has many loyal followers who will blindly vote as he says if he so much as asks and there are many others who owe him favors. So, Dumbledore has a lot of influence in Wizengamot."_

_She sighed and continued, "As I already told you, a formal seat owned by the family is usually occupied by the head of the house or a named proxy. If a seat was empty because the head of the house is underage and there is no legal proxy named, the Chief Wizengamot will name one. Let us take your example. Your proxy was supposed to be Sirius who was your magical guardian. He couldn't occupy the seats as he was a fugitive. You couldn't name a legal proxy because you didn't even know what Wizengamot was let alone that you had a seat. So, Dumbledore chose someone he knows to occupy your family seat and vote on the laws on behalf of your family. As Sirius was an adult, even if he didn't occupy his seat and didn't name a legal proxy, Dumbledore couldn't assign anyone else. So, the seat will remain vacant. Now, with you becoming the head of the Black family, Dumbledore can assign someone to occupy that seat."_

"_Why didn't Dumbledore tell me all these things? I would have wanted to know what laws are voted in the name of my family.", Harry asked. _

"_Well, you never showed any interest in learning pureblood politics before. Correction. You never showed any interest in learning period.", Bella said causing him to flush in embarrassment._

"_Now that you say like that it is understandable. He did say that he is going to start teaching me himself this year. So, may be, he was planning to tell me all these.", he replied._

"_May be. Well, when you meet him next time, ask him these questions. Is there anything else?"_

"_I noticed that Dumbledore's right hand was blackened. It looked as if it was infected by a dark curse. I asked him about it but he told me that he will tell me later. Do you know anything about it?", Harry asked._

"_I may or may not know about it. I cannot tell you anything until I see it.", Bella replied._

_She kept a passive face hiding the indecision within. She didn't know what to make of this new information. If she was correct in her hypothesis, Dumbledore was dying slowly. She had no way of confirming it until she sees the infection. For her sister's and by relation nephew's sake, she wanted to be correct. It would be easier for Draco if Dumbledore is already dying. But she wanted to be wrong for Harry's sake. He had already lost so much and she didn't want him to lose the only constant figure in his life. He needs Dumbledore's experience and guidance to accomplish the uphill task that he had found himself with. _

"_I believe it is time for me to go. Contact me whenever you need me.", she said._

_Her face disappeared from the mirror and he kept it back on his bed stand. _

He shook his head off his thoughts. He had to admit that it was quite an interesting conversation. He went through everything she had told him and realized that it was time to make a deal with Andromeda.

* * *

In the story, you will be seeing more of the Slytherin girls than in canon. I am also planning to give Neville a bigger role. I am also giving you all a chance to recommend the girl(s) he will be pursing in the school year. The condition is that they should be half-blood or muggleborn as pureblood girls are supposed to keep their virginity until their wedding night.

Please give me more reviews and suggestions. The more reviews I get, the more I feel encouraged to update, especially considering that in the next chapter Harry will be meeting Narcissa.


	6. Andromeda Black

**Disclaimer :**I do not own Harry Potter though I wish I owned Bellatrix Lestrange.

* * *

' ' – Thoughts

" " – Speaking in English

" " – _Speaking in Parseltongue / Memory_

* * *

**S/N : **This begins at the end of Harry Potter's 5th year.

* * *

**Sirius Black's Gambit**

**6 : Andromeda Black**

"Andromeda"

Andromeda Tonks looked at the boy who had called her raising an eyebrow. He suddenly straightened his posture and cleared his face of any emotions.

"I would like to discuss certain matters of importance with you… as the head of the Noble and the Most Ancient House of Black.", Harry said.

To say that she was surprised would be an understatement. Her old family had made it clear that they wanted nothing to do with her. Then again, Potters had always been more liberal and accepting. She nodded and then followed him to their living room.

"I am ready to reinstate both you and your daughter into the family for a price.", he said.

Andromeda thought about it. She had no use for having the Black family name other than for sentimental reasons. She had been living a happy and content life without it for the last two and a half decades. Nothing was going to change for her. The important thing was that he had proposed to bring her daughter into the family too. She knew how things worked at the Ministry. Being just a half-blood, Nymphadora's options were limited at present but if she was related to a powerful and influential family like the Blacks, she could go much further. She did not have to think much about it.

"What is the price?", she asked.

He looked indecisive for a moment.

"I was muggle-raised. You would have already realized that I never had any proper pureblood upbringing. So, I believe that I will require assistance in handling the responsibilities that come along with being the head of two prominent pureblood families. I also want to learn everything that one needs to know to be a proper Lord. Who better to ask than someone who had a pureblood upbringing?", he replied.

She understood many things now. She realized from her observation that he had learned something but he was not yet good enough to survive the pureblood society. She wondered why he never just asked her. After all, teaching him what he wanted to know was part of her guardian duties. Then it occurred to her that he was practicing negotiating deals. She decided that she will make him a proper Lord material within a month.

"I agree to the deal.", she said.

* * *

Harry Potter and Andromeda Tonks entered Diagon Alley. They first went to Gringotts.

Harry went up to the goblin teller and said, "I would like to speak with my Account Manager."

The goblin continued on with his work as if he had never heard him but Harry knew well enough to remain patient.

"Name, please"

"Harry James Potter"

The goblin then looked up and said, "We would like to confirm your identity."

Harry understood what he was talking about and extended his wand hand. The goblin took a knife and made a small cut on it. He let the blood fall on to the parchment. The wound healed itself. He saw the goblin look at the parchment and then wrote something in another parchment.

"Your account manager Ragnork will be here with you shortly.", he said without looking up and continued his work.

Soon, another goblin came and told them to follow him. They followed him to a large conference room. The walls were decorated with gold and many goblin made artifacts were displayed on a shelf. Even the chairs they were sitting on and the table in front of them were well decorated. In short, this was a room made to impress and he was sure he would not have even known of its existence if he was not a high priority customer.

Ragnork then gave Andromeda a pointed look as if asking him the reason for her presence.

"She is my guardian. I would prefer she be present.", he said.

The goblin nodded in acceptance and gave them a lot of charts to look at. Harry learned that he had shares in most of the shops in Diagon Alley and had controlling shares in many shops courtesy of both the Houses. He now understood why he had always received free ice creams at Florean Fortescue's. It would be quite silly to buy what was already his. He also saw that he was given 10% of the shares of Weasley's Wheezes which had added quite an amount to his coffers in spite of the fact that it was just started a year ago. He also realized that he had shares in many shops in a place called Leisure Alley. He did not even know that such a place existed. He looked at Andromeda who understood the silent question and answered.

"It is the place only known to the upper crust of the society. The wealthy and affluent prefer to dine there instead of Diagon Alley as the restaurants there offer the ultimate privacy and high quality food and service. It is the place where many business deals and political discussions take place. Did you really think the foreign delegates who visit our country stay in small dingy rooms in Leaky Cauldron?"

He felt really embarrassed now. He had never thought about that before.

"But, I have seen many rich families shopping in Diagon Alley. Why would they shop there when they have another Alley to themselves?", he asked.

"The shopping options in Leisure Alley are limited. The shops there contain only imported items. If you want any imported perfume or make up kit to gift a girl that is the place to go. If you are shopping for school items or anything else, you will have to visit Diagon Alley. Also, to enter Leisure Alley, you either should be an adult or should be accompanied by one.", she replied.

"Can we go for lunch there then?", he asked.

"We can if that is what you want.", she replied.

"I couldn't help but notice that even though we are making a profit overall, one company seems to have been making a loss continuously for many years.", he asked the goblin.

"Both Black and Potter family did not have a proper head for a long time. We cannot change the investment plans without the permission from the head of the family."

"You have the permission to change the investment plans accordingly in order to generate maximum profit for us."

The goblin nodded in acceptance. Harry continued looking through the charts.

"The dowry of Narcissa and Bellatrix make up a good amount of Malfoy and Lestrange fortunes, am I right?", he asked.

"I am not at liberty to discuss the finances of other houses", the goblin paused for a moment and continued with a smirk on his face, "but I can tell you that house of Malfoy will have some difficulties without it while the house of Lestrange will survive."

Harry returned the smirk understanding the meaning very well. Lestranges would not have a problem as their money had been sitting idle for fifteen years but due to Lucius throwing money at everything Malfoys would be in deep trouble. He thought well about how to proceed. Unlike what many people thought, he was not a saint. He loved revenge as much as anyone else if not more. He had always hated the Malfoy family ever since he came to know about them but after last year he was not going to let go of a chance to destroy them.

"The house of Malfoy and the house of Lestrange have destroyed our reputation. As compensation, I would like to take back the dowry of Narcissa and Bellatrix. Also, I would like to take back 9/10th of the money in their vaults. I want all the money after the expenses transferred equally into three vaults. First vault will be in the name of Nymphadora Tonks and will only be accessible by her and those with her permission. Second vault will be in the name of Remus Lupin and will only be accessible by him and those with his permission. The last one will be in my name and will only be accessible by Bellatrix and me but she will not be informed about that vault. You can take the compensation for the expenses from that money."

To his credit, Ragnork took it in his stride but he knew that Andromeda will demand an explanation later.

"What about the properties?"

"Let them keep the properties. They are too noticeable.", Harry replied.

Ragnork nodded in agreement.

"Andromeda, tell me how to disown or reinstate someone."

"You should point your wand at the appropriate position on the family tapestry and say what you want to happen.", she replied.

"Then I believe our business is finished here. I would like to visit the Black family vault."

"The job of escorting you to your family vault is beneath my position. I will send someone who will escort you there. Also, Sirius Black had asked me to give you these letters before his death.", the goblin said giving them both a letter each.

Andromeda was about to open it but Harry stopped her.

"If it is about what I think it is, it is better to wait until we get home."

Andromeda nodded in understanding.

Soon, a goblin came and took them to the Black family vault. Harry looked at the tapestry and studied all the black marks.

He pointed his wand to the one in place of Andromeda and said, "I, Harry James Potter, the head of the Noble and most Ancient House of Black, reinstate Andromeda Tonks back into the family."

The black mark was replaced by Andromeda's name and face.

He pointed his wand slightly down and said, "I, Harry James Potter, the head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, reinstate Nymphadora Tonks into the family."

Soon, her face and name appeared in the tapestry.

He then pointed his wand at the link between Bellatrix and Rodolphus and said, "I, Harry James Potter, the head of the Noble and Most Ancient house of Black, annul the marriage between Bellatrix Black and Rodolphus Lestrange."

Rodolphus' name and face vanished from the tapestry and Bellatrix's name was changed to Bellatrix Black.

Harry answered Andromeda's unspoken question.

"There is a clause in their marriage contract that should the husband go to Azkaban, the head of the house has the authority to annul the marriage."

"Are you going to do that for Narcissa too?", she asked curiously.

"No. She has a child from the marriage. It complicates everything.", he replied.

As Bellatrix was an adult, she could live by herself. But Draco, being underage, would be his responsibility. He had more things to do than waste time babysitting the blonde ponce. He looked at the tapestry properly and made sure that there was nothing left to do. He then took some money and placed it into his moleskin pouch.

"I believe that our business here is over. Let's go."

* * *

They then went to Ollivander's wand shop.

"Ah! Andromeda Tonks. Maple wood, dragonstring core, 10 inches. Am I right?", he said.

"Yes, that would be me.", she replied.

"I assume that it is still working properly.", he inquired.

"Yes, it is. I didn't come for me."

He then turned his head to Harry and said, "Harry Potter. Holly, phoenix feather core, 11 ¾ inches. Correct?"

"Yes."

"What seems to be the problem then?"

"I would like to buy two wand holsters one for each hand."

If Ollivander felt that the request was unusual, he never commented on it. He measured each hand properly and attached the wand holsters to them.

"That would be 10 galleons.", he said.

Harry paid for it and they left the shop. They passed the second hand robe shop and reached Eeylop's Owl Emporium. From there, he bought some owl food for Hedwig. He had skipped Madam Malkin's as he had decided to buy robes when he comes to get the school supplies. They entered Flourish & Blott's and started searching for some interesting books. He bought books on wizarding culture and traditions, politics, wizarding law, ancient runes, arithmancy, warding, traps, French, German, Spanish, Italian, a muggle book called Art of War by Sun Tzu, Art of Political Maneuvering and some wizarding bed time stories. They then went to the stationary shop and he bought a few of every type of quill except the Quick Quotes quill. It reminded him too much of Rita Skeeter and her slandering. He even bought an ink bottle and a stack of parchments. They then went to Quality Quidditch Supplies where he bought a polishing kit for his Firebolt though he wondered whether he would use it.

"Andy, our shopping is over. Let's go for lunch.", Harry said his indifferent façade slipping due to his excitement.

"Of course Harry. The children these days are quite impatient.", she said with a little smirk on her face.

Even though Andromeda didn't know him well, she knew that he rarely behaved like a child. So, she felt privileged to see him acting his age. It meant that he was comfortable enough in her presence to show this hidden side of him.

* * *

They walked through the path between Madam Malkin's and Flourish & Blott's and reached a dead end. Andromeda stepped forwards towards the wall and tapped the bricks forming an inverted triangle.

"Now, walk through the wall like you do in Platform 9¾.", she said and casually walked through the wall.

Harry followed her example and walked through the wall. The sight in front of him shocked him so much that he stared open mouthed forgetting his manners.

"Harry, close your mouth. It is beneath the status of the head of the family to stare that way.", she said with a slight smirk tugging at her mouth.

He gave her a piercing glare. He schooled his features to nonchalance. He did not blame himself for losing composure. The place was a combination of best of tradition and modernity. He had no hesitation to admit that it was much better than Diagon Alley.

"In the platform, we had to run to pass to the other side. Here, we just had to walk through it.", he said.

"Actually, you don't have to run. People usually just lean on the wall and appear on the other side. There is a rule that says not to run at the wall as it attracts the attention of the muggles but most wizards have forgotten it.", she replied.

They went forward and reached the place. It was a German restaurant named Exclusiv.

"This restaurant is so busy that we would usually require reservations to dine here. But, as our family has a majority share in the shop, we always have a table reserved for our family. Whenever we go out as a family, this is where we dine.", she said.

Harry felt a smile tug at his lips to see her reminiscing. He was happy to see that she had already accepted that she was a part of the family. They entered the restaurant and went straight to their table. He saw that their table was in a special section separate from others.

"This place is so heavily laden with privacy charms that no one can even see us from outside our section let alone hear what e speak. As you can see, there are runes engraved on the wall that use our magical discharge to create a magical field that deactivates any magical eavesdropping device inside the section. There are many powerful wards around the place which protects us from any harm. We, Blacks have always being very strict about our safety and privacy.", she said.

Harry was surprised. He looked at the patterns on the wall and realized that they were runic symbols. He had never noticed it until she had pointed it out to him. Suddenly a short, blonde girl, who he assumed to be the waitress, came inside.

"Lord Black, Madam Black, it is a pleasure to have you both here. What would you like to have?", the girl said in a distinct German accent.

She left after taking their orders. He was impressed by her professionalism. If he hadn't seen her eyes widening in surprise on seeing him, he would have believed that she did not know anything about him. After the initial surprise, she treated him like any other customer. He wondered why everyone could not be like that.

"So, did you like the place?", she asked.

"Well", he said stretching the word, "it is much better than I expected."

The waitress returned with the food and left.

"So, tell me about your friends.", she said looking at him curiously.

"I have two best friends Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. We have been friends since we met on the train. Since then, we have been doing everything together. Then there is Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood and Ginny Weasley.", he said awkwardly.

"I had heard that there was Ministry intervention in school last year. Is it true?", she asked.

He didn't know how much to tell her. He thought for a moment and then decided to tell her everything. She was his guardian after all.

"We had many adventures in Hogwarts the details of which remain between us three and Dumbledore. There are some things even Dumbledore doesn't know. I could tell you everything if you want to hear.", he paused and continued after seeing her nod, "It all started in my first year. I befriended Ron during the train ride and made an enemy of Draco Malfoy."

He noticed that she became even more interested on hearing her nephew's name.

"Hermione started tagging along since then as all of us ended up in Gryffindor. It was only after we saved her from a troll that we became 'The Golden trio' as many calls us. After some sneaking around, we learned that the Philosopher's Stone was hidden inside the school protected by many traps each designed by a teacher and that someone was trying to steal it. At the end of the year, the person managed to send Dumbledore to the Ministry and tried to steal it. We passed these traps until the end when Ron and Hermione had to go back. So, I went ahead and realized that the thief was Quirell, our Defense against Dark Arts professor, who was possessed by Voldemort. I kept him busy until Dumbledore returned and the stone was destroyed.", he paused and then continued, "The second year was more 'interesting'. It began with the Malfoy family elf trying to keep me safe by preventing me from going to school. After I managed to get to school, many muggleborn students started getting petrified. A message was found on the wall that Chamber of Secrets had opened by the Heir of Slytherin. Soon, it came out that I was a parseltongue resulting in me becoming the main suspect. The situation became so bad that school was going to be closed off. Hermione got petrified trying to help us. We finally found the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets and went in to save Ginny who was kidnapped. In the way, the fraud professor Lockhart got the better of us and tried to obliviate me but the spell backfired as he had used Ron's malfunctioning wand. We got separated in the backlash and I went alone. I then killed the basilisk and destroyed the enchanted diary that was causing all the problems. I then learned that Lucius Malfoy hid the diary among Ginny books and it possessed her. I, in the end, tricked him into freeing his elf."

He saw her looking at him in shock. He didn't know whether it was because of what he said or because of the way he said it.

"I don't mean any offense but I find it hard to believe that a twelve year old killed a basilisk. No basilisk had ever been spotted in the last thousand years.", she said.

"I, Harry Potter, swear on my life that everything I have said after I sat down at this table is the truth."

A light came from his wand and surrounded him for a moment before it vanished.

Andromeda looked at him in shock and said, "So, everything you said is true."

Harry took a leaf from Bellatrix's book and said sarcastically, "Considering that I am still alive, it must be true."

She glared at him and told him to continue.

"In third year, I got a map called the Marauder's Map from the twins Fred and George Weasley and Hermione was officially sanctioned a time turner for taking more subjects. As you might remember, Sirius Black escaped that year due to which Minister Fudge assigned dementors to guard Hogwarts. At the end of the year, we found out that Sirius was innocent and we saved him from the Dementor's Kiss. The four year was more chaotic. I am sure you would know that the mishap at the Quidditch World Cup."

She nodded to show that she understood.

"Hogwarts hosted the Triwizard Tournament that year. Those wishing to participate had to write their name in a parchment and throw it in the Goblet of Fire. A new rule was introduced which stated that only those aged 17 and above can participate. Dumbledore himself drew the Age Line around the Goblet. But, still, my name was chosen as the fourth champion. There were three tasks. First task was to take a golden egg protected by the dragon. Misfortune stood beside me again as I got the most dangerous one, Hungarian Horntail. I summoned a broom and used my flying skills to get the egg. The egg was the clue to the next task. The next task was to save a friend from the merpeople. I used Gillyweed to breathe under water and managed to save Ron. The third task was to get to the center of the maze and be the first one to take the cup. Cedric and I decided to take it together as we are both Hogwarts champions. We were instantly transported to a graveyard where he was killed. I was tied to a statue and using a ritual Lord Voldemort was resurrected. He tried to kill me but as our wands were brother wands, I managed to escape using the same port key that brought me here. After I reached the school, I learned that the traitor was Barty Crouch Jr. who was polyjuiced as Alastor Moody, our Defense against Dark Arts professor. He tried to kill me but Dumbledore reached me in time. The traitor was given Dementor's Kiss immediately afterwards."

He saw that Andromeda had gone pale. He knew that if it was not for her pureblood upbringing she would not have been able to keep it together.

"Does your fifth year get better?", she said tentatively as if fearing the answer.

He gave her a lipless smile and said, "My fifth year was the worst year in my life."

"What is worse than _him _being resurrected?", she asked shocked.

"You don't want to know.", he replied.

"You are right. I don't want to hear about it now. You can tell me about that later.", she said.

"Thank you for listening. I feel better now.", he said.

"Don't thank me. I am your magical guardian after all. It is not like I have anything else to do. So, tell me, what do you do in other times?", she replied.

"Well, I play Quidditch. I have been the seeker for the Gryffindor team since my first year. I play chess with Ron sometimes but I always lose. I also play Gobstones and Exploding Snaps.", he replied.

"What about your romantic life? I am sure you would have had a lot of girls lining up to date you.", she asked with a mischievous expression on her face.

Harry had to try hard to keep a blush from coming on to his face as he was reminded of someone else. It was quite difficult with the witch in front of him looking just like her.

"I didn't have much of a romantic life. The only romantic thing I ever did in my life was to go on a date with Cho Chang which turned out to be a disaster. I had rather not talk of it.", he replied.

Harry was relieved that she had asked about his romantic life and not about snogging and sex. He did not have to lie. After all, there was nothing romantic between Bellatrix and him. He saw a victorious expression on her face and knew that she will hold this over him for the rest of his life.

"What else is there in this alley?", he asked in curiosity.

"Well, at the end of the alley, there is an escort agency or, in simple words, brothel. I am sure _you_ would be quite interested in it.", she said.

She saw that his eyes widen in shock and he was looking down to cover up his embarrassment.

"No need to be so embarrassed, Harry. You are a teenager after all. Women, at least pureblood women, are supposed to keep their virginity until their wedding night but men don't have such restrictions. So, they will be expected to put up a good performance during their wedding night.", she said particularly enjoying the blush creeping up his face.

Due to her pureblood upbringing and her career as a lawyer, Andromeda knew well how to get the intended reactions from convicts and witnesses using well chosen words. She had always loved a good challenge. She had to admit that he was good for someone who did not have much training in that area which made her victory sweeter.

"Alright. I can see that you are uncomfortable with that topic and I will not bring it up again. For your information, the escorts here only serve the upper crust of the society and are thus expensive but you can easily afford them. You will find a brothel in Knockturn Alley, if you go deep enough, which serves the commoners.", she said smirking.

"You told me that you will leave the topic alone.", he said groaning.

"No, I didn't. I told you that I will not bring it up again. I can still continue talking about it.", she said giving him a sweet smile.

She smirked when she saw that he was trying to restrain himself from pulling out his hair in frustration.

"I won't be able to come here on my own anyway. I am underage."

He said it quietly but she still heard it. He blushed when he saw her raised eyebrow.

"Legally, you are underage. But, you participated in a tournament which was only for adults. So, there is a chance that magic considers you as an adult.", she replied.

"Is there any way to check it?", he asked.

"When we return, you should try opening the barrier. If it works, then we know that magic considers you as an adult.", she replied.

"Talking about legality, I have noticed that both the Houses don't have any existing contracts with any law firms. I was hoping that your firm will handle the legal matters until the end of the war after which I can make a proper decision on the choice of the law firm.", he said.

"Are you sure about that? It is a big decision.", she said.

"I have no reason to take the risk of trusting a complete stranger when a family member can take care of it, especially now.", he replied.

"Then, I will get ready a temporary contract which you can sign at your earliest convenience. I believe it is time for us to return home.", she replied.

They both walked back the same way they came. Harry tapped the bricks this time and was happy to see that it opened. They returned home quickly.

* * *

Harry took the mirror in his hands and said, "Bellatrix Black"

Soon, Bellatrix's face came up in the mirror. He got a feeling that she was not happy with him for some reason.

"What happened, Bella? Is there a problem?", he asked.

"_Problem_? There is no problem at all. Someone, whom I will not mention, thought it was a good idea to take off with all my money and leave me as broke as the Weasleys.", she said sarcasm rolling off her tongue.

He was confused for a moment and then it suddenly occurred to him. He berated himself for forgetting that.

"I did not _take off _with all of your money. I only transferred some of it to a secret vault only we both can access. It is vault no. 3634.", he replied.

"For your sake, I hope you are telling the truth. You wouldn't like the consequences otherwise. Anyway, what about Narcissa's money? Did you put it in another vault too?", she asked.

She saw that he was not meeting her eyes and guessed the answer.

"What exactly did you do?", she asked.

"Well, I reinstated Andromeda and Nymphadora into the family. Then I took the dowry money of both of you and 9/10 of the money in the private vaults of you and Narcissa and transferred it equally into three vaults one each in the names of Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin and me. You can access the vault that is in my name. I also might have annulled your marriage.", he said.

"WHAT!"

She then composed herself and asked, "Why did you annul my marriage?"

"I thought you didn't want to be married to him.", he said.

Bellatrix sighed and then rubbed her forehead in frustration. It was true that she didn't want to be married to him. She had a suspicion that the Hufflepuff's Cup that was in the Lestrange family vault was a horcrux. She had run many tests on it and was planning to run more tests to confirm it. Now, due to the annulment of her marriage, she would not be able to access the Lestrange vault thus making the retrieval of the potential horcrux nearly impossible.

"You are right. But the situation is more complicated than that. There is a chance that, in the long run, your decisions might turn out to be the right one. There is also a chance that it will backfire on us. Next time, before making any important decisions, consult me.", she said.

"Are you saying that I am incapable of taking decisions on my own?", he asked with an edge in his voice.

"No, Harry. I am saying that I want to have a say in it considering that it affects me too. I am proposing that in the future we will discuss everything properly before making a decision.", she said.

He felt guilty now. He had always felt angry when people thought that they had the right to take decisions in the matters affecting him without bothering to consult him. Now, he had done the same thing to her.

"I am sorry. I acted recklessly. I should have asked you first before making a decision.", he said.

"Don't worry. No damage had been done yet. At least, I did not have to fake my surprise or fury when we got the letter from Gringotts. From now on, we will discuss everything and come to a decision together. After all I am not the one who has to endure an irate Narcissa Malfoy ranting about how the arrogant and spoiled Boy-Who-Lived took off with all her money and how her family has sunken lower than the Weasleys due to an outsider becoming the head of the family. Then again, you wouldn't mind being in my place. After all-"

"I do not have a crush on Narcissa Malfoy.", he said quickly knowing exactly what she was about to say.

"It looks like someone is in denial.", she said with a smirk on her face.

"I am not in denial. I had fantasized about her in my fourth year. That is all.", he replied.

He knew that she was purposefully baiting him. He wondered why he always rose to it.

"Whatever, Potter."

"What is happening on that end these days?", he asked.

"Nothing special. It is just me teaching my incompetent nephew Occlumency and some basic dueling.", she replied.

"I know that it must be hard to tolerate him after having the privilege of teaching the most handsome, talented, intelligent and powerful wizard ever.", he said.

She looked at him in shock for a moment and then composed herself.

"You must be really happy these days. That is the first time I have ever heard you say something good about yourself. Anyway, what is happening at you end?", she asked.

"Andy read the letter. She sat in shock for some time and then just went off without acknowledging anyone. Next day, she was back to normal.", he replied.

"Oh! When Sirius learned the truth, he had fainted. Andy seems to have a better tolerance for shocking news.", she said smirking.

"The education part is going well. She is now teaching me how to find loopholes in every law. She will be teaching me the art of political negotiations next.", he said.

"That is good. I would have to go now. Tell her to teach you apparition too. As I had already told you before, the earlier you learn the better. Give her my best wishes.", she said and her face vanished from the mirror.

* * *

It was his third day of apparition lesson and they were standing right outside their wards. Andromeda had conjured many hoops and placed them in such a way that they formed the letter H. He was standing inside the first hoop.

"Harry, just remember the 3Ds : Destination, Determination and Deliberation. Continue practicing and you will eventually get it.", she said.

He had just talked with Bella yesterday. She had told him a different technique. She had compared apparition to transfiguration. She had told him that it would be easier if he kept the destination firmly in his mind and concentrated on the feeling of being squeezed through a tube that he had gotten when he had apparated with Dumbledore. He concentrated on the location of the next hoop and imagined being squeezed through a tube which connected his location and the next hoop. The next thing he knew he had landed inside that loop.

"Good job. Now, I want you to continue on to the next hoop.", she said encouraging him.

He continued the same way and he completed the H.

"If you can do the same two more times consecutively, we can move on to the next stage.", she said.

He did it two more times and asked, "Now, what is the next stage?"

"I will apparate slightly away and I want you to apparate right in front of me."

She apparated a fair distance away and nodded to him. He concentrated on the location and the feeling of apparition. Soon, he found himself standing right in front of Andromeda.

"You are a quick learner. You have learned to apparate within three days.", she complemented.

"I believe that is because I have a good teacher.", he complemented in return.

Andromeda smirked on hearing his flattery.

"I am going to apparate right in front of the Leaky Cauldron. I want you to follow me there.", she said and quickly apparated away.

He concentrated on the location. Soon, he saw his surroundings blur and felt as if he was being squeezed into a tube. A moment later, he was right in front of Leaky Cauldron.

"Did Bella teach you to apparate?", Andromeda asked.

"No. She wanted to teach me but there was no time. Why?", he replied.

"When you apparated here, I almost attacked you thinking that you were a Death Eater. You apparated just like they usually do. You came in a black smoke and landed silently. I didn't know how to do that let alone teach you.", she said raising an eyebrow.

"Isn't apparition that way?", he asked confused.

"In apparition, people suddenly appear in a place making a loud pop or crack sound. You never made any sound at all.", she replied.

"Well, Bella told me that it will be easier and more effective if I forget the 3Ds and concentrate on the location and the feeling of apparating. That is just what I did. Does it matter?", he asked.

"As long as no one else sees you doing it, it is alright. You do know how people are.", she replied.

"I know."

* * *

Patsy : Thank you for the details. It has been years since I read HP and so have forgotten the little details.

I don't know from where you got the idea that I consider Harry as an idiot and completely unmotivated. I thought chapters 2,3 and 4 of my story proved otherwise. Let me explain. Harry is a passive Slytherin. He can be quite hardworking and intelligent but he will only show these qualities if he deems the cause and the result worth it. Every example of Harry's success proves it. He learned Patronus only because the dementors constantly attacked him. He picked out the name Hedwig because the owl was his first friend and was thus special. He did not learn Occlumency because he did not understand its importance. He never understood why he was asked to close down a link which not only gave him the kind of information OOTP can never hope to get but also helped him save Arthur Weasley. He never worked hard in Potions until Slughorn came because he knew that Snape will always be biased against him. It is said in books that he only passed in many subjects because he copied from Hermione in exams. So, Harry is not an idiot or unmotivated. He is just a selective person. As Hat said, he would have done well in Slytherin.

others : I will consider all options. Please continue posting reviews and suggestions.


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